CECCS Members
The President’s Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability, composed of members representing faculty, staff, students and alumni, oversees the advancement of sustainability initiatives at the University of Toronto and sets their strategic direction.
Co-Chair
Liat Margolis
Liat Margolis is an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and director of the GRIT Lab (Green Roof Innovation Testing Laboratory). She is internationally recognized for her work bridging research, pedagogy and community partnership to transform how institutions teach, design and act in pursuit of ecological health and social justice. She is co-chair of CECCS.
Co-Chair
Ron Saporta
Ron oversees the strategic and operational functions of Facilities & Services. A professional engineer, he has more than 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles in higher education and health care. He has deep experience in large-scale capital redevelopment, facilities and support services. Ron has spearheaded the development of successful sustainability programs, receiving recognition at provincial, national and international stages and is co-chair of CECCS.
Former Co-Chair
John Robinson
John Robinson is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the School of the Environment, set to retire on July 1, 2026. He is an honorary professor with the Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability at the University of British Columbia and adjunct professor with Copenhagen Business School. From 2017-2025, he served as U of T’s first presidential advisor on the environment, climate change, and sustainability. He is a former co-chair of CECCS (2017-2025).
Faculty
Tim Chan
Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the VP, Research & Innovation; Professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Marianne Hatzopoulou
Professor and Chair, Civil & Mineral Engineering, Director, Positive Zero Transport Futures
Ito Peng
Professor, Sociology/Munk School of Global Affairs, Director of the Centre for Global Social Policy
David Sinton
Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and Interim Director, Lawson Climate Institute
Nicole Spiegelaar
Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, School of the Environment, Academic Director, Trinity’s Integrated Sustainability Initiative
Imre Szeman
Director, Institute for Environment, Conservation & Sustainability, Professor, Human Geography
Staff
Jeff Miller
Director, Facilities Management & Capital Projects, UTSC
Students
Hannah Flores
MSc, Geography
Harshit Gujral
PhD, Computer Science
Zach Lidder
3rd year Peace, Conflict & Justice Studies, Trinity College
Kelechi Nwokeocha
MSc, Geography
Riya Osti
4th year, International Development/Cities Studies, UTSC
Jason Pang
MSc, Sustainability Management, UTM
Angela Ye
2nd year, Chemical Engineering
CECCS Subcommittee Members
CECCS operates four subcommittees, with different members of the university community serving solely as subcommittee members.
- Beverley Ayeni, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Energy Management, UTM
- Maureen Beckett, Project Manager, University Planning, Design & Construction
- Michael Classens, Undergraduate Associate Director; Assistant Professor, School of the Environment, FAS
- Andrea Cortinois, Assistant Professor, Global Health, DLSPH
- Kenneth Corts, Vice-Dean, Research, Strategy, and Resources; Academic Director, Lee-Chin Institute for Corporate Citizenship; Desautels Chair in Entrepreneurship; Professor, Rotman School of Management
- Heather Cunningham, Assistant Director, Research & Innovation Services, Gerstein Science Information Centre
- Alyssa D’Addio, MSc Student, Sustainability Management, UTM
- Cristina D’Amico, Faculty Liaison Coordinator, Graduate Student Development & TA Training, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation (CTSI)
- Erica Di Ruggiero, Research Director, SDG@UofT ISI; Associate Professor, DLSPH
- Patricia Escobar, Sustainability Manager, UTSC
- Ambareen Fatima, 4th year Student, Architecture Studies
- Amy Fernando, MSc Student, Geography in Air Pollution and Health
- Jessica Fields, Vice-Dean, Faculty Affairs, Equity & Success, Office of Vice Principal Academic & Dean, UTSC; Professor, Health & Society
- France Gagnon, Vice Principal, Research & Innovation; Professor, DLSPH
- Vinita Haroun, Director, Centre for Research & Innovation Support (CRIS)
- Scott Hendershot, Senior Manager, Sustainability Office, UTSG
- Heather Hermant, Lead Coordinator, Academic Initiatives, Centre for Community Partnerships (CCP)
- Dorottya Kiss, MArch Student, Daniels Faculty
- Arya Poorchavoshzadeh, 4th year Student, Kinesiology
- Alexandra Rahr, Director, Undergraduate Programs & Student Experience; Associate Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
- Shoshanna Saxe, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering
- Matti Siemiatycki, Director, Infrastructure Institute, School of Cities; Professor, Geography & Planning
- Janice Soro, 3rd year Student, Human Biology, UTSC
- Laura Tozer, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, UTSC
- Sarah Urquhart, PhD Candidate, OISE
- Michael Widener, Chair & Professor, Geography & Planning, FAS
Meet The CECCS Secretariat
The CECCS Secretariat is the administrative arm of the committee with dedicated staff managing and supporting the committee’s business and mandate.
