We are happy to announce that Professor David Wilkinson has been recognized as a 2025 Fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE). The ISE, founded in 1949, focuses on advancing electrochemical science and technology and disseminating this knowledge. The fellows of ICE embody the commitment to improving electrochemistry and upholding the society’s values.
Dr. Wilkinson, an active CERC member and a former CERC director, is being recognized for his contributions in electrochemical energy conversion and storage which are invaluable to the advancement of science and engineering.
Below is the overview section of the newsletter. To read the newsletter in full, please click on this hyperlink (PDF file) or on the image above.
Overview
Welcome to the first newsletter from the Urban Freight System Emissions program, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Climate Action and Awareness Fund (CAAF). This biannual newsletter highlights recent project developments for public stakeholders who share our commitment to reducing the environmental impacts of transportation in Canadian communities.
Introduction
Freight transportation plays a vital role in our cities—but it also contributes significantly to climate change and air quality issues. As ports, governments, and fleet operators explore ways to decarbonize this sector, real-world emissions data and decision-support tools are needed to guide the effective adoption of alternative fuels and technologies. Our program brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts in alternative fuels, atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, pollutant dispersion, emissions modeling, policy analysis, data science, and respiratory health. By examining freight emissions from multiple perspectives—and under real-world operating conditions—we aim to generate high-quality data, tools, and case studies that support practical decision-making to improve climate outcomes, air quality, and public health. The articles in this newsletter (click here to read) are written by researchers at the forefront of our work. We hope this publication not only brings their latest findings closer to the stakeholders they aim to support, but also creates space for dialogue. Your insights, questions, and experiences are valuable in shaping research that is relevant, responsive, and impactful. We welcome your engagement as we continue to advance solutions for cleaner, healthier urban freight systems
In this Newsletter
As our program reaches the halfway point of its five-year tenure, research teams are mobilized and generating meaningful results across all project streams. With research themes and findings becoming clearer, we are beginning to actively engage and communicate with stakeholders—a core focus of this newsletter and a growing priority for the program moving forward. One major highlight from the past year is our large, collaborative research campaign examining the emissions impacts of switching from fossil diesel to 100% biodiesel in a working articulated tug and barge (ATB) operated by Seaspan Ferries Corporation (featured on the cover).This campaign began in January 2024 with a nine-month, on-campus training initiative for participating researchers, and culminated in a series of sea trials in November 2024. These trials involved five UBC research teams and the National Research Council of Canada, working together with Seaspan to assess real-world emissions under operating conditions. The result is a unique and comprehensive dataset on the climate, air quality, and health implications of biodiesel combustion in marine applications—delivered through coordinated, multi-disciplinary fieldwork. Beyond the tugboat campaign, this issue also features research on hyper-local emissions modeling, novel powertrain technologies, policy-relevant air quality assessments, and health-focused toxicology studies. Together, these efforts reflect the breadth of our program’s approach: from high-resolution traffic emissions mapping and hydrogen-diesel engine evaluations to long-term locomotive monitoring and cutting-edge cellular exposure systems.
Upcoming Events & Activities
The coming year will be an exciting one for our program, as several major field campaigns and engagement activities are planned:
In-use emissions testing continues to be a key focus. Our teams will be conducting on-road testing of a hydrogen-diesel dual-fuel truck, as well as long-term emissions monitoring of a 100% biodiesel-powered switcher locomotive—both under real-world operating conditions
Roadside and mobile air quality monitoring campaigns will be deployed in urban freight corridors and port-adjacent areas. These efforts aim to better understand pollutant hotspots, characterize traffic-related air pollution, and support more effective mitigation strategies.
Mid-Project Workshop: We’ll be hosting a program-wide workshop at UBC to mark the midpoint of our five year initiative. This event will bring together researchers, project partners, and stakeholders to share progress, exchange ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration and impact.
To ensure timely sharing of results, we will also be offering focused webinars for stakeholders interested inour latest findings. These sessions will provide opportunities to hear directly from researchers, ask questions,and discuss how emerging evidence can support policy, planning, and operational decisions.
We’re excited to share these updates as we move into the next phase of the program. Whether you’re in policy, industry, research, or community work, we hope the findings in this newsletter are useful and spark ideas for action. We’re always keen to connect—so if something here resonates, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Lead Investigators: Dr. Amanda Giang (amanda.giang@ubc.ca) & Dr. Patrick Kirchen (patrick.kirchen@ubc.ca) Program Manager: Dr. Jeremy Rochussen (jeremy.rochussen@ubc.ca)
Professor Naoko Ellis (CERC Associate Director, Research) is among the three faculty members in Faculty of Applied Science who received the Killam Teaching Prize 2024/2025.
The recipients of the Killam Teaching Prize are nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni in recognition of their excellence in teaching.
Designed to support Canada’s future aviation and aerospace leaders, these $1,000 scholarships are open to students 25 years old or younger who are entering or currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution in Canada. The scholarships aim to encourage students pursuing S.T.E.M. studies in college or university with aspirations for a career in aviation or aerospace.
Application Requirements To apply, students must submit an essay or video answering the following questions: 1. Tell us about yourself and why you are pursuing a career in aviation and aerospace. 2. How will your career path and goals make a meaningful contribution to your chosen field or community?
Subscribe to our RCAF Foundation Newsletter to be notified when the application link goes live! 🔗Newsletter – RCAF Foundation
Dr. Justin Bullteaches extensively on sustainability, innovation and strategy, with a focus on graduate and executive learners. His doctoral work focused on measuring and comparing the environmental performance of paper and digital value chains in global media markets. In addition to his academic commitments, Justin is a mentor-scientist at the Creative Destruction Lab Climate stream. With a focus on companies that are developing solutions to the climate crisis, he helps early-stage founders identify market opportunities and position themselves for future fundraising rounds. He is also a board member with the Tla’amin Nation, assisting a modern treaty nation with their economic development strategy, including sitting on the Nation’s finance, audit and risk management committee.
Professor and Director of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA) allison.macfarlane@ubc.ca Home department: School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Research Interests
Energy Policy
Science and Technology Policy
Sustainable Resource Policy
Canada & United States
Biography
Dr. Macfarlane has held both academic and government positions in the field of energy and environmental policy, especially nuclear policy. Most recently, she directed the Institute for International Science and Technology Policy at the George Washington University. She recently held a fellowship at the Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC and was Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Applied Public Policy at Flinders University and Carnegie Mellon Adelaide in Australia.
The first geologist (and the third woman) to chair the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 2012-2014, Dr. Macfarlane holds a doctorate in earth science from MIT and a bachelor’s of science from the University of Rochester. She has held fellowships at Radcliffe College, MIT, Stanford, and Harvard Universities, and she has been on the faculty at Georgia Tech in Earth Science and International Affairs, at George Mason University in Environmental Science and Policy, and in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
From 2010 to 2012, Dr. Macfarlane served on the White House Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, created by the Obama Administration to recommend a new national policy on high-level nuclear waste. She has also served on National Academy of Sciences panels on nuclear energy and nuclear weapons issues, and she chaired the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the group that sets the Bulletin’s famous “doomsday clock.” In 2006, MIT Press published a book she co-edited, Uncertainty Underground: Yucca Mountain and the Nation’s High-Level Nuclear Waste. Dr. Macfarlane has published extensively in Science, Nature, Environmental Science and Technology, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and other journals.
