Ian Power

Associate Professor, B.Sc. and Ph.D. (Western University), P.Geo. (ON)

I am an environmental geoscientist and Canada Research Chair in Environmental Geoscience at Trent University. My research investigates geochemical, mineralogical, and geobiological processes relevant to environmental challenges, with a particular focus on mineral-based carbon dioxide removal. My team is developing and evaluating approaches for CO₂ mineralization, enhanced rock weathering, and sustainable mine waste management, from fundamental laboratory studies to field-scale applications.

I completed my BSc and PhD in Geology and Environmental Science and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow and research associate at the University of British Columbia. My research is highly collaborative, bringing together academic and industry partners to advance fundamental understanding and translate geoscience into practical environmental solutions.

Email, Instagram: @ianmalcolmpower, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar

Minger Guo

Postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D. (Western University)

I am passionate about using geochemical tools to study natural processes in terrestrial systems via the interaction of atmosphere-soils-waters-plants, and I am curious about how natural processes can mitigate climate change by humans. My current research focus is on using enhanced weathering to irreversibly and quantitatively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere while deacidifying and supplying nutrients in forest. I received my Ph.D. from Western University, where I focused on using triple oxygen isotopic composition of grass phytoliths to reconstruct relative humidity.

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Shaheen Akhtar

Postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D. (National Institute of Technology Rourkela)

I am curious about integrating different geochemical techniques to gain insights into the processes that shape our planet and deal with real-world issues that have emerged from the influence of anthropogenic activities as well as natural cycles. During my PhD (National Institute of Technology Rourkela, India), I worked on understanding the role of different environmental variables in influencing air-water CO₂ fluxes, nutrient and metal behavior in a tropical monsoonal estuary. Currently, at the PowerGeolab, I will be exploring different strategies to potentially accelerate CO₂ sequestration using mine wastes and mineral looping through controlled laboratory techniques and field trials.

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Heather Klyn-Hesselink

Doctoral candidate, B.Sc. (Western University)

I am a doctoral candidate in the Environmental and Life Sciences program at Trent University. My passion is climate change mitigation, and to that end, I am examining how enhanced rock weathering of silicates and carbonates has the potential to draw CO₂ from the atmosphere and be stored in alternative forms. More specifically, I will be examining the overall path of carbon as it makes its way from the atmosphere and enhanced rock powders into the soils and microbiomes and the runoff produced from leaching. These studies will help to determine the net potential of enhanced rock weathering, be it positive or negative, and the impact of such techniques on soils and agricultural health.

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Victor Bewsh

Doctoral Student, M.Sc. and B.Sc. (Trent University)

 I am currently pursuing a research-based Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Environmental & Life Sciences program at Trent University, co-supervised by Dr. Ian Power and Dr. Shaun Watmough (EGRG laboratory at Trent University). My research explores enhanced rock weathering using a calcium silicate (wollastonite skarn) feedstock in a managed hardwood forest in central Ontario. I am focusing on the effects of wollastonite application on forest ecosystems (soil conditions and tree growth), quantifying organic carbon sequestration, and using strontium isotopes to evaluate mineral weathering and uptake in the ecosystem. I received my Bachelor of Science (with honours) from Trent University in 2021, completing a joint major in Business Administration and Environmental & Resource Science. I completed a research-based Master of Science degree in 2025 at Trent University under the supervision of Dr. Watmough, exploring the use of non-industrial wood ash as a soil amendment to remediate acidified forest soils in central Ontario. I am passionate about the environment and environmental work, including forestry, plant ecology, and ecosystem management, and I am interested in climate change solutions and ecosystem restoration.

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Larissa Wallisch

Master’s student, B.Sc. (Trent)

I am a M.Sc. student in the Environmental and Life Sciences program at Trent University, where I also completed my HBSc in Environmental Geoscience.  My research focuses on enhanced rock weathering (ERW) for sustainable forests, examining how forest soil properties—such as pH, microbial communities, and organic matter—affect mineral dissolution and CO₂ removal.  Since joining the PowerGeolab as a research assistant in Spring 2023, I have been involved in both field and laboratory studies of ERW. This work built upon my honors thesis, conducted throughout 2024 and 2025, which laid the foundation for my current graduate research. My overarching goal is to advance the development of long-term climate solutions using natural processes, while also fostering greater public understanding of geoscience.

Email, Twitter: @larissawallisch, LinkedIn

Victoria Hatten

Master’s student, B.Sc. (Trent)

I joined the PowerGeolab in fall of 2023 as a research assistant while finishing my degree in Environmental Geoscience. I went on to complete my undergraduate honours thesis collaborating with a mining company to research the CO₂ sequestration potential of non-mafic mine tailings. In my study, I specifically targeted barite as a carbonation feedstock and enhanced the reaction rate of CO₂ mineralization to form witherite. I am continuing my research as a M.Sc. student at Trent, investigating new strategies for accelerating sequestration reaction rates in mine tailings, and contributing to the broader goal of achieving carbon neutrality in the mining industry.

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Jamie Burnett

Master’s student, B.Sc. (Trent)

I am a M.Sc. student in the Environmental and Life Sciences program at Trent University, after completing my B.Sc. in Environmental Geoscience. I joined PowerGeolab in 2023 as an eager research assistant, had the opportunity to conduct my honours thesis project the following year, and am excited to take on my Master’s thesis. I am passionate about applying my knowledge to address the pressing issue of climate change by advancing scientific research in carbon sequestration. My research integrates geochemistry to investigate methods of elucidating brucite and periclase carbon mineralization reactions in a novel proposed MgO looping technology. The overarching motivation behind this research is to aid in developing carbon dioxide removal methods to reach climate objectives and reduce global warming.

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Kidus Woldemedehn

Master’s student, B.Sc. (University of Alberta)

I am a M.Sc. student in Environmental and Life Sciences. During my undergraduate degree in Geology at the University of Alberta, I studied the carbonation efficiency of mixtures of brucite [Mg(OH)₂] and portlandite [Ca(OH)₂], as part of a wider Mg-Ca looping system. For my Master's thesis, I will be investigating carbon sequestration techniques using mine tailings. I am very passionate about climate change mitigation and CO₂ sequestration, and I hope to apply my skills towards a career in decarbonizing mine tailings, or an adjacent field in the mining industry.

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