PICS congratulates Ilana Judah and Brennan Strandberg-Salmon for their remarkable accomplishments and leadership in engaged research.

The PICS Awards for Leadership in Engaged Research recognizes PICS Scholars for contributing to new mitigation or adaptation climate solutions, and also for co-developing these solutions with “solution seekers” – decision-makers within government, business, civil society, First Nations, and our communities.

Ilana Judah, PICS Scholar and UBC master’s student, worked closely with BC Housing to co-develop the Integrated Building Adaptation and Mitigation Assessment (IBAMA) framework and tools. IBAMA is for use by building owners, managers, and developers to integrate both climate mitigation and adaptation considerations when designing, constructing and operating multi-unit residential buildings. BC Housing is piloting the IBAMA approach on affordable housing and other projects throughout 2021, moving the research project to its implementation phase, with Ilana’s ongoing support. Beyond partners, she has presented the IBAMA framework to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and at the Adaptation Canada 2020 conference, Pembina’s Reframed Tech Series and the Understanding Risk BC 2020 symposium. 

Brennan Strandberg-Salmon, a scholar in the PICS Internship Program and SFU undergraduate student, worked with the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC) to co-develop the Climate Change How-To Guide for Industry and Professional Associations. The guide can assist industry and professional associations mitigate and adapt to climate change. It contains barrier-busting strategies, a business case and roadmap to make associations future-fit for climate change. There has been widespread uptake of the report, plus endorsements by the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Fisheries Council of Canada, and the Canadian Society of Association Executives. 

Ilana and Brennan are the first recipients of the PICS Awards for Leadership in Engaged Research, and will each receive a plaque and $2,000 for participation in a national or international conference or other professional development opportunity. Ilana plans to use the award money to participate in an eight-week University of Cambridge Sustainable Finance online course. Brennan is interested in using the award to participate in events, workshops and conferences on local climate solutions and the circular economy.