Organizing Committee
Committee Members
Brett Caraway
Brett Caraway is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto where he serves as the Program Director for the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) program in the Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI). He is also appointed with the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information & Technology; the Faculty of Information; and the School of the Environment. Before coming to Toronto, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the connections between technological innovation, economics, and sustainability. He is the author of the book Digital Media Economics from SAGE and has published articles in journals like the Journal of Outdoor Recreation & Tourism-Research Planning & Management; IEEE Multimedia; Media Culture & Society; Environmental Communication; Information, Communication & Society; and Communication Theory.
Hannah MacRae
Hannah MacRae is currently a Senior Research Associate, ESG at Jarislowsky Fraser, Ltd, where she has been since September 2023. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2023 with a Master of Science in Sustainability Management, where she conducted and published research focused on green bonds and energy retrofits. She has previous experience in impact investing at Rally Assets, and won the national 2023 RBC x Rotman Sustainable Finance Case Competition. Hannah also holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Ecology from the University of Guelph.
Shashi Kant
Dr. Shashi Kant is Director of Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) Program. Shashi is a Professor at the Institute for Management & Innovation (IMI). In addition to his administrative duties, he teaches two courses in the program; most fittingly, the first and last core courses; SSM1010Y – Principles of Sustainability Management and SSM1090H – Capstone: The Sustainable Enterprise.
He is Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research and Journal of Forest Economics. He has guest edited three special volumes of Forest Policy and Economics. He is a member of the selection committee for the Soren Wibe Prize in Forest Economics. He is the Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group on Forest Economics.
Laurel Besco
Dr. Laurel Besco is an Assistant Professor for the Institute for Management and Innovation, and the Geography Department at the University of Toronto-Mississauga. She received her PhD from the University of Ottawa, and previously attended the University of Waterloo for her MA and BES degrees. Her research interests include Environmental/Sustainability Law and Policy, Green Economy, and Corporate Sustainability.
Michelle Atkinson
Michelle Atkinson works with the Master of Science and Sustainability Management (MScSM) program at IMI at the University of Toronto Mississauga, supporting campus sustainability initiatives including the STTPA Conference, Sustainability Week, youth community programming, the Certificate of Completion in Global Sustainability, and the Sustainability Ambassadors Program. Her work at UofT has involved in cultivating meaningful community partnerships, experiential learning, civic and community engagement, and developing co-curricular programming that promotes both personal and social responsibility for students.
Sarah Cherki El Idrissi
Sarah Cherki El Idrissi is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT) at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Her work centers on the intersections of digital media, identity, and education, with a focus on inclusive and critical pedagogies in online learning environments.
Full bio coming soon…