Kerry Black brings research experience and expertise relating to sustainable infrastructure in First Nations communities to her work with HIC. She has worked for the past 10 years in both the public and private sectors, on water and wastewater management in First Nations communities across Canada. Most recently Kerry served as a Senior Policy Advisor in Housing & Infrastructure with the Assembly of First Nations.
Kerry previously worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia in Civil Engineering. She has just transitioned to the University of Calgary as a Schulich Research Chair, and maintains a strong base in BC. Her work is centered on community-based participatory approaches, encompassing research relating to engineering infrastructure and sustainable communities, with a key focus on the incorporation of Indigenous-centered research methodologies.
Kerry completed her undergraduate in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto and her Master of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia. She has also received her PhD from the University of Guelph with research focussed on sustainable water and wastewater management in Indigenous communities, incorporating technical engineering principles with culturally-grounded processes, policy and socio-economic considerations.
She is a strong advocate for Indigenous issues, including the recognition of Indigenous rights, the human right to safe, clean drinking water and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.