Meet our Team

Lab manager, Geography & Environment

With over 18 years of experience as the Laboratory Manager of Geography & Environment, Erika Hill brings a wealth of expertise in chemical, nuclear radiation, and biological laboratories. She has spent over a decade with the Western Hazmat and Confined Space Team, ensuring safety and efficiency in complex environments. Erika has supervised and trained hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students in diverse laboratory and field techniques, including paleolimnology, micrometeorology, hydrology, geomorphology, aquatic biology, dendrochronology, biogeography, and spatial ecology.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Erika is an avid hiker and camper, finding inspiration in the great outdoors. She also enjoys creating stained glass art, blending her scientific and creative passions.

MSc Student, Year 1

Aviva is a first-year MSc student in Geography and the Environment. She completed her BSc Honours in Biological Sciences, at the University of Guelph in 2024. Aviva is interested in environmental sustainability, phosphorus management, water quality and climate change impacts. Her thesis focuses on how phosphorus dynamics in urban agriculture and stormwater ponds may be impacted by flood mitigation and adaptation strategies related to climate change in London Ontario.

In her free time, Aviva enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, camping, and spending time with friends and family.  

Senior Research Assistant

Lori is participating in the ToSustain project, determining what Life Cycle Assessment boundaries should be put in place to best compare and characterize urban agricultural system greenhouse has emissions beyond the field. She holds a BSc in Earth Sciences from Dalhousie University, an MSc in Environmental Geochemistry from Queen’s University, and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from McGill University. Her industry experience as both an environmental geochemist and a metallurgist highlights her enthusiasm for multidisciplinary work. During her doctoral research, Lori focused on phosphorus recovery as part of a larger team developing a biological nutrient recovery method for wastewater treatment facilities.

Lori enjoys spending time in nature, cross-country skiing, and cycling.

MSc Student, Year 1

Arielle graduated from Western University in 2024 with a BSc in the Honours Specialization in Environmental Science program. In September 2024, Arielle joined the RESTORE lab as a Master of Engineering Science student under the co-supervision of Dr. Clare Robinson and Dr. James Roy to continue her education. She is also a part of the Collaborative Specialization in Environment and Sustainability program at Western with Dr. Metson as her advisor. 

Research Assistant, May-August 2025

Natalie is a PhD Candidate in Art History and Visual Culture at Western University, researching the aesthetic development of 19th-century seed catalogues and the intersection of horticulture, botanical art, and environmentalism. She has a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto. With the SRM lab, Natalie is heading up a student art competition for the living lab, as well as organizing how we document the construction of the site and gardening practices to contrast them to historical practices in a photographic exhibition in 2026.

When not doing schoolwork, Natalie spends her time caring for an ever-growing collecting of houseplants,  and visiting lots of museums! 

Research Assistant, April-August 2025

Nick is working on compiling datasets and literature that can be used to identify risks and opportunities associated with climate change and urbanization for cultivation, foraging, and hunting in and around London Ontario. He is pursuing a Master’s of Geotechnical Engineering at Western and working towards the completion of his P.Eng designation from Professional Engineers of Ontario. His research focuses on creating sustainable solutions for problematic soils in developing nations, at both an ethical and environmental sense. Between his bachelor and master degrees Nick worked in industry in Canada (Toronto) and Australia (Melbourne).

Outside the office Nick loves hockey, baseball and AFL footy. He also enjoys hiking, coffee and travel.

Summer USRI student, May-August 2025

Isabel is a fourth-year undergraduate BSc student in GIS, completing a certificate in Climate Change and Society. She is currently working as a research assistant on the Embedding Nutrients in Urban Climate Thinking project, where she supports research on the impacts of climate change on water flows and nutrient cycling in urban environments. Her work involves analyzing climate model projections and mapping. With a passion for sustainability, hydrology, and spatial data, Isabel is interested in how cities can better manage water systems and environmental risks.

Outside of school she likes to focus on her creative side by working on fashion projects, making music, crafting, and musical theatre.

Undergraduate thesis student, September 2025-April 2026

Maja is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Integrated Science with Environmental Science. She is interested in sustainability, agriculture, and environmental policy. She is working on an Honours thesis under Dr. Metson, focusing on quantifying greenhouse gas emissions associated with fruit and vegetable production in and around cities, contributing to the TOSustain project. Maja enjoys reading, traveling, and being outdoors.

Undergraduate thesis student, September 2025-April 2026

Sophia is a fifth-year BSc student in GIS with a major in Environmental Science. Her interests lie in natural phenomena, sustainability and using data science and geographical analysis to solve environmental issues. Her thesis will be looking at foraging and hunting in urban spaces and the implications of contamination and food sovereignty. In her spare time, she loves walking her dog and gardening.