New ecohydrology researcher

The School of Environmental Sciences (SES) is pleased to welcome Prof. Geneviève Ali as an associate professor in ecohydrology. Ali began in her role on January 15.

In this position, Ali will work on research related to watershed processes, nutrient transport, surface water chemistry, water quality, and their interrelationship with ecological systems.

"SES is thrilled to welcome Prof. Ali,” says Prof. Jon Warland, director of SES. “She is active on a number of fronts and is already developing collaborations across campus. Her integrative approach is essential for solving the complex environmental problems we face, and we are very excited to work with her." 

Her work focuses on hydrological-ecological interactions across spatial and temporal scales with the goal of characterizing ecosystem goods and services, while examining environmental change in an integrated, cross-disciplinary way.

Ali has a strong interest in issues related to watershed conservation, especially the role of aquatic systems in controlling overall watershed connectivity and resilience. She studies water, solute and biota movement across the upland-wetland-river continuum, but also across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.

 “I am quite excited to join the University of Guelph and the Ontario Agricultural College, in particular,” shares Ali “Being part of SES will give me a unique opportunity to train a new, modern and multi-faceted generation of ecohydrologists, and to collaborate with a wide range of local experts.”

Ali received her Ph.D. from the Université de Montréal, and comes to the University of Guelph from the University of Manitoba where she was an assistant, then associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences.

 “Ecohydrology is still an emerging discipline, but the tools and concepts it relies on are really key to our understanding of watersheds as complex systems,” Ali says. “I look forward to working with provincial and federal research scientists to figure out how to best apply these tools and concepts to the sustainable management of our wetlands, rivers and lakes.”

Ali has published 33 peer-reviewed papers and has supported 15 students through their successful thesis examination. She is also fluent in French and English.