Eric is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria. His position with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation is made possible by a partnership between the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and RJC Engineers through a mutual understanding of the interdependence of the health and wellbeing of communities and ecosystems. The planning of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas requires the design of sustainable infrastructure to support human life based on a reciprocal and respectful relationship with nature.

Eric’s PhD research focuses on integrating an empathetic, human-centered approach to engineering design education that better prepares graduates to engage with complex problems at the intersection of society and technology. Eric has supported the development and delivery of Design Thinking programs with the Gustavson School of Business, and has engaged with research initiatives with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

At the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, Eric plays a key role in the development of human-centred curriculum development, the application of Ethical Space on the land and within programming, and co-leads a Think Tank on IPCA Infrastructure, Financing and Economics with Eli Enns through the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership.