Forsker Grand Prix 2010, Studentersamfundet, Trondheim, Norway Credits: Thor Nielsen/NTNU Info

Canadian, astronautical engineer, doctoral candidate and advocate of sustainability, I sit on the Board of Directors of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) – Trondheim, Norway – where I represent 2000 academic staff.

I have been active in educational policy during several years at the European level; notably by collaborating with the European Ombudsman to remove flaws in the European Commission Erasmus Mundus Programme (see Draft Recommendation of the European Ombudsman). More recently, I have been representing doctoral candidates at the research and doctoral committees of the Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts at NTNU.

My doctoral research is however not related to education policies, but centered on concepts and strategies for the development of sustainable buildings in Norway. I am looking at Zero Emission Buildings (ZEBs) as a solution for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from a point of view based on compliance rather than design. I am a regular participant to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 40 Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings since 2009.

I studied, worked, lived and learnt the languages of various countries around the world. I speak English, French, Norwegian and Spanish and may interact within a German, Swedish or Danish setting. I volunteer for organisations whose values I share, presently for NTNU’s unique Studentersamfundet.