Trent University Awarded Two Prestigious Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs

Two internationally renowned researchers, Dr. Don Lafreniere and Dr. Ryan Sullivan, are joining Trent University to tackle pressing environmental and societal challenges facing Canada, backed by a $16 million federal investment through the highly competitive Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs program.

Dr. Ryan Sullivan, chair in Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry 9left) and Dr. Don Lafreniere, chair in Community Geography (right) will return home to Canada to establish transformative research programs at Trent. Photo courtesy of Trent University.

Lafreniere, chair in Community Geography and Sullivan, chair in Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry, are returning to Canada from universities in the U.S. to establish transformative research programs in the Trent School of the Environment and Department of Chemistry focused on community resilience and sustainable chemistry, respectively.

“Securing two Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs is an extraordinary achievement and a testament to the University’s research excellence and leadership,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, Trent president and vice-chancellor. “Don and Ryan are exceptional researchers whose work reflects what Trent does so well: bringing disciplines and people together to tackle complex challenges and turn knowledge into meaningful impact. Their leadership will build on Trent’s longstanding strengths in environmental and community-based research, create new opportunities for students and faculty, and deepen the contributions Trent makes in Canada and around the world.”

The Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs of Canada program, formerly known as the Canada Impact+ Research Chairs program, is part of a $1.7B federal government investment to attract top international researchers to Canada. The two incoming Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs to Trent are part of the first intake of 64 chairs coming to Canada.

Lafreniere and Sullivan each receive eight million dollars over eight years from the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chairs program as an investment in Canadian research talent development. According to Trent, the researchers will use the funding to build research teams of highly skilled students, post-doctoral fellows and research staff to support community collaborations that help translate their discoveries into industry, policy and public impact.

Lafreniere is a professor of geography and geographic information science (GIS) whose research uses geospatial technologies and historical data to better understand how built, natural, and social environments shape communities over time. Formerly a professor at Michigan Technological University, he is recognized for leading interdisciplinary, community-based research that addresses local challenges such as urban sustainability and health, watershed management, land use and climate change.

Lafreniere will develop a national program that employs and trains disadvantaged youth in geospatial technologies and research to work with communities to strengthen sustainability, resilience, and civic participation. As a researcher in the Trent School of the Environment, Dr. Lafreniere’s work will advance teaching and experiential learning in a variety of programs in the School, such as Geography and Environmental Science and Studies, as well as graduate programs in the Frost Centre for Canadian and Indigenous Studies.

“Trent understands that meaningful community-based research starts with listening and building relationships, and that takes time, collaboration and commitment,” said Lafreniere. “There is incredible expertise at Trent across geography, sustainability, environmental science, Indigenous Studies and beyond, and a shared desire to improve the places and environments where people live. I’m looking forward to bringing those strengths together to build a program driven by the needs of communities across Canada.”

Sullivan is an environmental chemist and engineer whose interdisciplinary research spans environmental chemistry and engineering to understand and remove pollutants affecting climate, water, ecosystems, and human health. Formerly a professor of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University for 15 years, he has developed innovative technologies to treat persistent contaminants such as PFAS, including patented approaches being advanced through commercialization efforts and with Sudoc, a startup he co-founded.

According to Trent, Sullivan will bring new opportunities for cutting-edge research at Trent through investments in advanced instrumentation, talent development and innovation, and new green tech development, further strengthening the University’s capacity for sophisticated chemical analysis of contaminants that affect the environment and evaluation of new remediation methods to remove them. Dr. Sullivan will contribute expertise in environmental chemical transformations and atmospheric chemistry, and expand opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research across programs including Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Master of Instrumental Chemical Analysis, Master of Science in Materials Science, Environmental and Life Sciences M.Sc. and Environmental & Life Sciences Ph.D.

“I’ve been aware of Trent’s leadership in environmental studies since I was an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, and I’ve always been drawn to Trent's interdisciplinary approach and placing the environment at its core,” said Sullivan. “The opportunity to build my research program at a university where collaborative research across disciplines is so deeply embedded in the research and education culture is particularly compelling. Trent’s unique resources for environmental research such as the Water Quality Centre and Canadian Environmental Modeling Centre will amplify the impact of my research.”

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