Indigenous Curator Tour at UBC Museum of Anthropology

On May 29, 2025, our cohort had the privilege of visiting the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC for a private, curator-led tour that deepened our understanding of Indigenous cultures and their connections to sustainability, storytelling, and community.

We were fortunate to work with Damara Jacobs-Petersen, Indigenous Programming Curator at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology. Her thoughtfully designed tour brought the rich cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest First Nations to life through storytelling and arts.

The tour began with a series of stops highlighting different aspects of Indigenous life and traditions. We first explored the Canoes and Paddles, which showcased the diversity of coastal communities and their deep connection to the waterways. This was followed by a look at longhouses and post-and-beam architecture. The final stops in this section of the tour focused on potlatch and feasting traditions, explaining the significance of societal structure built on the redistribution of wealth.

The second part of the visit took us to the Multiversity Galleries, where we learned about Erub Arts and the Ghost Net Collective. This initiative combines Indigenous artistic practices with global ocean conservation efforts by transforming marine waste into powerful artworks. The pieces that were demonstrated served as a compelling example of how Indigenous communities contribute to the broader sustainability goals through creativity and environmental stewardship.

To conclude the tour, we were invited to a hands-on session featuring selected teaching pieces from the museum. Our members had the chance to engage with items such as a ridicule mask and shoes crafted with moose hide and beads. These pieces brought us back to the themes introduced at the beginning of the tour – resilience, creativity, and identity.

We are deeply grateful to Damara and the Museum of Anthropology for facilitating this enriching and eye-opening experience. It allowed our cohort to engage meaningfully through the lens of the Indigenous community and provided lasting insight into the cultural knowledge and lived experiences of the First Nations.

Net0MM Hosts Roundtable and Public Talk with Dr. Mark Miodownik from UCL

On April 7, 2025, the Net0MM team organized a series of events to welcome Prof. Mark Miodownik from the UK, centering on science communication and the future of sustainable economy.

The day began with a roundtable discussion focused on effective strategies for engaging the public in science. In addition to Mark’s participation, three other panelists shared insights on public outreach and educational tools – Tom Cummins (Director of Exhibits, Science World), Jesse Brydle (Science Educator, Science World), and long-time Net0MM collaborator and program committee member, Love-Ese Chile. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to the table: Tom emphasized the power of play as a tool for science communication, while Jesse spoke about translating complex scientific ideas into accessible concepts for young kids and teenagers while preserving the essence of science. Love-Ese highlighted the role of experimentation and creativity in the lab, reminding the audiences about a playful, exploratory approach to research. Lastly, Mark shared lessons from his citizen science projects, underlining the value of public participation in accelerating data collection and fostering broader engagement with science.

In the afternoon, Mark delivered a public lecture titled “The Death of Consumerism and How We Engineer a More Sustainable Future” in the Auditorium at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum. He emphasized the incompatibility between our current consumerism system – which heavily relied on rapid product turnover – and the urgent need to meet climate and net-zero goals. Throughout his presentation, he showcased his research projects and case studies around the world, which focused on innovations aimed at increasing repairability and recyclability. He also underscored the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and that bringing together the arts, social sciences, and engineering are essential to building a sustainable future.

Net0MM Concludes the Year with Plastic Waste Workshop and First Annual Symposium

On Dec 6th 2024, the Net0MM team organized a successful day-long event at the UBC Alumni Centre, featuring a morning workshop titled “The Ongoing Challenges of Plastic Waste: Needs, Opportunities, and Solutions,” followed by the first Net0MM Annual Symposium in the afternoon.

The morning session was expertly moderated by Love-Ese Chile, who also sits on our program committee. The panel brought together experts from across Canada and the UK, including Susanna Carson (CEO at BSIbio Packaging), James McLellan (Professor at Queen’s University), and Mark Miodownik (Professor at University College London).

Following a brief background information by Love-Ese, panelists delivered concise opening introductions. Thanks to pre-recorded videos shared with attendees in advance, the workshop was able to dive directly into discussions surrounding the global challenges of plastic waste, leading to valuable insights and exchanges. The workshop concluded with Love-Ese’s eloquent wrap-up, for which we genuinely appreciate. We also wish to thank all panelists for their time, expertise, and impactful contributions.

The afternoon program began with a networking lunch, followed by the Net0MM Annual Symposium. This year’s symposium featured presentations by the first-year cohort, each delivering 15–20 minute talks on diverse sustainability topics. Their research addressed key areas such as molecular design, sustainable polymers and fibers, energy efficiency, and the analysis of “invisible” e-waste.

The Net0MM team looks forward to building on the success of this event, continuing to foster collaboration and explore new, exciting topics at the forefront of climate change and net-zero initiatives.

ECRS Showcases Innovations in Sustainable Materials and Chemistry

The Net0MM-CREATE program, in partnership with UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, Faculty of Science, and several engineering departments, successfully kickstarted the 2024-25 academic year with the “Early Career Researchers Symposium on Sustainable Materials and Chemistry.” Held at the Nest, this half-day event highlighted innovative research in sustainable materials and chemistry.

The event opened with a keynote address from Dr. James Olson, Dean of UBC Applied Science, setting the stage for an engaging day of knowledge sharing. This was followed by presentations from six early-career UBC professors and two external speakers from the University of Washington and Simon Fraser University, each delivering a 20-minute talk and offering insights into their impactful research and ongoing projects.

Special thanks to all the speakers for their time and dedication in sharing their work with the UBC community and beyond.

Climate Justice in STEM Workshop

We successfully concluded the second Net0MM-CREATE technical workshop on the topic of climate justice in STEM. The workshop was organized in a roundtable panel format. Dr. Amanda Giang moderated the session and was joined by UBC faculty researchers – Dr. Alex Tavasoli, Dr. Milind Kandlikar, our Net0MM collaborator – Linda Nowlan (UBC Sustainability Hub), and a student climate expert – Manvi Bhalla. We had the privilege of hosting Manvi through the Climate Teaching Connector Program, where she shared her insights and experiences related to climate justice in STEM.

Throughout the session, questions and topics were raised – the definition of climate justice and its importance of implementation within the scientists and engineers community. We believe and hope that the discussion and exchange of ideas during this workshop will benefit our cohort in their research journey.