Team

Li Pu is a Postdoctoral Fellow, working between Dalhousie University and McGill University (Prof. Jeffrey McKenzie). His research focuses on modeling the impacts of long-term permafrost formation and thaw on subsurface contaminant transport over the timescale of nuclear waste storage. Li Pu earned a Doctoral degree in 2025 and a Bachelor’s degree in 2019, both from Hohai University. His PhD research focused on the influence of temperature on groundwater flow and salt transport in coastal aquifers. 

Hayden's PhD research investigated coastal and agricultural sediments impacted by surface and subsurface saltwater intrusion resulting from dike realignment along a macro-tidal river. Hayden used geophysics, water chemical analysis, and morphological and sediment assessments. Hayden’s research was funded through the NSERC ASPIRE program, and a NS Graduate Scholarship. Hayden was awarded the G.G. Meyerhof Graduate Fellowship (2021, 2022), the Donald Stanley Award for Best Environmental Engineering paper (2022), and the Canadian Society for Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Student Poster Award (2023). Hayden has been a course instructor at Dalhousie since 2020.

Axelle Gaffet is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Dalhousie University, working within the Open-FRANC Initiative. Axelle's research focuses on modeling coastal flooding in the Bay of Fundy. Axelle earned her PhD in 2026 from La Rochelle University and an engineering degree in 2022 from Université Côte d’Azur (Polytech Nice-Sophia). Axelle's doctoral research investigated the contribution of distant-source swell events to coastal flooding on tropical islands using a three-scale modeling approach. 

Aida received a Master's Degree in Coastal Environmental Engineering from the University of Tehran in 2016. Aida's MSc thesis addressed the characteristics and environmental effects of coastal upwelling in the Gulf of Oman through numerical modeling. Aida's PhD research focuses on the numerical modeling of estuarine hydrodynamics and thermal regimes under present and future climate conditions in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This work includes a combination of field work and numerical modeling. Aida holds a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship.

Bay holds a BSc in Earth Sciences and GIS Certificate from Dalhousie, and a MSc in Geography from the Université du Québec à Rimouski. Her masters research focused on winter coastal erosion along the St Lawrence Estuary and the impacts of warm, ice-free winters. Bay's PhD work is concerned with monitoring and modeling hydrogeological dynamics in permafrost coastal zones, incorporating field sampling, remote sensing, and numerical modelling methods. Since 2018, Bay has been involved in coastal dynamics work in northern communities. Her current field site is near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Bay is supported by an NSERC CGSD Award and funding from Polar Knowledge Canada. Bay’s research is co-supervised by Dr. Julia Guimond (WHOI).  

Bailey Strong earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering in 2019 and a Master of Applied Science in 2022, both from Dalhousie University. Bailey's doctoral research focuses on evaluating the potential use of subsurface wastewater treatment systems for remote cold regions, aiming to contribute to wastewater treatment guidelines for these communities. By employing numerical modeling and high-performance computing, Bailey is investigating the impact of freeze-thaw processes on the behavior and safety of these systems, taking into account both current and future climate conditions. Bailey's research is co-supervised by Dr. Rob Jamieson, and he is supported by an NSERC PGSD scholarship. 

Nicole graduated from Dalhousie in 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and in 2023 with a master's degree. Nicole's MASc research was focused on saltwater intrusion in agricultural dykelands along the Bay of Fundy. Nicole's PhD research investigates saltwater intrusion dynamics in beaches and the relationships to geochemistry using both field and modelling methods. Nicole is funded through an NSERC Alliance grant as well as through a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, NSERC CGSD Scholarship, and Killlam Scholarship. Nicole also helps with administration, lab oversight, and field campaigns. 

Armita Motamedi completed her undergraduate studies in Water Resources Engineering and a Master’s degree in Water Resources Management at Isfahan University of Technol. Her performance during her master’s studies earned her an award from Iran’s National Elites Foundation. Currently, she holds a doctoral Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship and a Killam Scholarship and is pursuing research on the effects of drought and extreme events on groundwater and surface water systems throughout Nova Scotia.

Agustia graduated with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia. She earned her master's in the Joint Master Program in Coastal Hazards, Risks, Climate Change Impacts, and Adaptation from the University of Cantabria in Spain, IHE Delft in the Netherlands, and the University of Algarve in Portugal, which was supported by an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. During her master's, she investigated the sensitivity and interactions among drivers of compound flooding in Surabaya, Indonesia. Agustia's PhD research focuses on developing a computational hydrodynamic model for coastal compound flooding on the Chignecto Isthmus along the Bay of Fundy. Agustia's research is co-supervised by Dr. Adam Yang and supported by an NSERC Alliance - Public Safety Grant (Open-FRANC). 

In 2023, Summer graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Her thesis focused on modeling the small-scale effects of grass species on major soil properties and soil hydrology. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant in vadose zone hydrology, geochemistry, and restoration ecology. In 2023, Summer received the Groundwater Field Methods Award for her work during Hydrogeology Field Camp in the Yucatán Peninsula. Summer’s MASc research focuses on contaminant transport in seasonally frozen and permafrost vadose zone environments. Her work is currently funded in part by the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship as well as an NSERC Alliance grant.

Martina graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Engineering in 2024. During her undergraduate degree, she supported graduate projects focusing on chloride, nitrate, and phosphorus contaminants and pathways. She helped graduate students conduct field work, including surface and groundwater monitoring and sampling. Martina has also worked in consulting, specializing in hydrogeology and private servicing. In this position, she conducted groundwater impact assessments and groundwater reports for new developments. Martina’s MASc research, for which she received the IAH Canada Diana Allen Award, focuses on using geophysics to map and model saltwater intrusion on the North Shore of PEI. 

Audrey graduated from Dalhousie University in 2025 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Audrey worked for the lab as a part-time research assistant during the 2024 winter, 2024 fall, and 2025 winter terms. She joined the lab full time for the summer 2024 term as an NSERC USRA recipient. Audrey's MASc research focuses on groundwater dynamics in beach environments and their impacts on beach sediments. Audrey's work is funded by the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship and an NSERC CGSM scholarship. During her MASc, Audrey also completed a Mitacs-funded internship with IAH Canada focused on groundwater outreach and eduation.

Amalie graduated from McMaster University in 2025 with a BSc in Biodiversity & Environmental Sciences and a certificate in GIS. Her undergraduate thesis studied the effects of geomorphology on Canadian Shield moss productivity, and its impacts on turtle nesting habitat. Her role as an undergraduate research assistant led to her love of working outdoors, assisting graduate students with their research related to peatland ecohydrology. Amalie’s MASc project focuses on monitoring and modeling hydrodynamics and sediment transport along PEI’s North Shore.  She is supported by a Faculty of Engineering scholarship.

Adam graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. In Environmental Sciences and Earth Sciences with a minor in GIS in 2025. Adam's undergraduate thesis focused on climate change impacts on precipitation and river discharge patterns. In the summer of 2025, Adam assisted with a research project investigating how beaver dams influence surface water-groundwater exchanges, as well as supported other projects at the United States Geological Survey. Adam's Master's thesis investigates coastal dynamics and cold region processes of wetlands on the North Shore of PEI. Adam's work is funded by a Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship, and Dr. Lauren Somers is his primary advisor. 

Nicole graduated from Dalhousie University in 2026 with a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and a certificate in Water Resources Engineering. During her undergraduate studies, Nicole's senior capstone team earned first place in the design competition for their coastal protection structure. Nicole recently joined the lab as a 2026 NSERC USRA recipient. Nicole’s MASc research, which is also supported by a Gillespie Graduate Scholarship, investigates the hydrology, thermal regime, and mixing within coastal ponds in PEI National Park. Nicole's primary advisor is Dr. Rob Jamieson.

Vanessa graduated with her Diploma in Engineering from Dalhousie in 2025 and expects to complete her Environmental Engineering Bachelor’s degree in 2028. She is a co-op student working as a research assistant for the lab. She is excited to help graduate students over the summer with conducting drone and geophysical surveys. She is eager to have the opportunity to learn more about costal hydrogeology and groundwater dynamics and hopes to specialize in this field. Vanessa is a recipient of an NSERC USRA award and an On to the Future Award from the Geological Society of America.