Instruction and Leadership Team

Instruction Team

The instructors for the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in High-Performance Buildings are renowned experts who have built strong connections and research partnerships with leading industry players.

Ali Nazari

Widely regarded as a pioneer in his field, Ali Nazari has led sustainability designs for the first commercial Living Building Challenge project in Canada and the first certified LEED Platinum office in Vancouver. As a Principal at Integral Group, Ali is well versed in integrated design facilitation, energy efficient building design, LEED, sustainability and advanced energy simulations. With over 15 years of industry experience, he leads a team of energy modellers and sustainability advisors throughout Integral Group’s Canadian offices. Ali serves as the Vice Chair of the BC Chapter Leadership Board of CaGBC and is on the CaGBC’s Experienced Modellers List. He is also a recognized key speaker at many international energy modelling and sustainability conferences.

Michel Labrie

Michel Labrie has over 25 years of experience in sustainable architecture design projects, integrated design process, public consultation and green building research. He is an acknowledged leader in the field of sustainable construction and has expertise with a broad range of sustainability rating systems including LEED, the Living Building Challenge, Envision and Passive House. As a founding principal of Local Practice Architecture + Design, Michel leads his firm in the delivery of sustainable civic infrastructure, education projects and high-performance housing, achieving design excellence through multidisciplinary collaboration and the holistic integration of social, environmental and technical sustainability.

John Madden

John directs the activities of the Sustainability and Engineering unit within Campus and Community Planning at UBC. He brings over 18 years of experience working for local municipal government, international agencies and non-profit consulting working to advance sustainability policies and implementation strategies. While working in the Middle East, John led efforts in the design and implementation of an innovative green building and sustainability program which was awarded the “Best Regional Sustainability Initiative” by the World Green Building Council. John is also a sessional instructor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design teaching on the subject of Sustainable Master Planning. He holds a B.A. from the University of British Columbia as well as graduate studies at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning.

Andrea Frisque

Andrea Frisque provides technical direction and leadership in low-energy design for buildings and communities. She publishes technical papers in international journals, presents at national and international conferences, and has been invited for talks and lectures. Dr. Frisque has over 15 years of experience related to analyses and computer simulations for sustainable design, and she uses her extensive knowledge in heat and mass transfer, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics to provide cost-effective sustainable design and unique solutions, helping project teams achieve their performance goals. A Certified Passive House Designer, Andrea was an Associate and Senior Building Performance Engineer at Stantec and a founding director of the Canadian Passive House Institute (CanPHI). She is currently dean for the School of Energy at BCIT.

The UBC Sauder Robert H. Lee Graduate School business instructors for the MEL in High Performance Buildings are renowned experts who lead the way in Canada and internationally in business and management research and knowledge dissemination.

Ryan Rad

Dr. Ryan Rad is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Applied Science and currently teaches Analytics and Interpretation for Applied Sciences for the Master of Engineering Leadership. Ryan has a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from the University of Guilan, a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Malaya, and a PhD in Applied Sciences from Simon Fraser University. Having roots in entrepreneurship and business, Ryan worked as a researcher, engineer, team lead, and product manager for several startups and companies, including Microsoft. Dr. Rad is currently research active in machine learning, computer vision, and AI for suitability.

Justin Bull

Justin is the academic director for the MEL and MHLP programs and a lecturer at the UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School and Chair of the Sustainability and Ethics Group. He teaches extensively on sustainability, innovation and strategy, with a focus on graduate and executive learners. He has worked with big companies – like IKEA, Lyft, and Rolling Stone – to implement climate innovations. Justin serves as an advisor and board member to several technology starts-ups and First Nations in Canada. He graduated with a BA in International Relations and a PhD in Wood Science from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Wayne Rawcliffe

Dr. Wayne Rawcliffe is an instructor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division at UBC Sauder’s Robert H. Lee Graduate School, where he teaches HR courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, and specifically teaches Organizational Leadership course for the MEL and MHLP. He is a faculty mentor for several HR case competitions and Master’s in Management community projects supervisor. His community involvement has included being a Director on the Calgary Family Service Bureau Board and Director of the Kensington String Orchestra Board, and he is currently the Director of the Coast Social Enterprise Council, Director of the BC Organizational Development Network, and an active mentor for the BCO.

Amy Stanley

Amy Stanley received her BA in Sociology, MSc in International Human Resource Management, and Post Doctorate Diploma in Human Resource Management. With a 20-year career and 8 years of experience working in HR roles, Amy currently serves as the Adjunct Professor in the UBC Sauder School of Business Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Division. A Certified Executive Coach through Royal Roads University, Amy was also awarded the Associate Certified Coach status from the International Coach Foundation. Adding to her previous experiences, she continues to conduct helpful training workshops for large organizations to create an optimized working environment.

Dr. Erika Wong

Dr. Erika Wong received her MA in Creative Practice for Narrative Environment from Central St. Martins in London, England, and PhD in Business from the University of Brighton. She is a sessional lecturer in the UBC Sauder School of Business Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Division and teaches Program Management and Leadership course for the MEL and MHLP. Dr. Wong is also a start-up founder, practicing artist, and podcast co-host. Her research looks at the valuation and legitimization system of the Art World and its relationship to the Creative Class, focusing on creative entrepreneurship and current technologies.

Leadership Team

Get to know the High Performance Buildings Directors who are leading the program.

Ron Kellett

Ronald Kellett is a professor and director of the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) and co-director of the elementslab at UBC. He holds degrees in environmental studies and architecture. In SALA, Kellett teaches design studios and courses in environment and urban form and conducts research related to community scale energy and emissions. From 2010-2012, he was a University Sustainability Initiative Teaching and Learning Fellow and in 2011 received a Killam Teaching Prize.

Read the full profile of Ron Kellett.

Dr. Steve Rogak

Dr. Steve Rogak received his BASc from UBC (Mech ’86) and PhD from Caltech (Environmental Engineering Science ’92). Dr. Rogak is a world-leading expert on the morphology, transport properties and aerosol dynamics of aerosol nanoparticles, with 1500 citations of his papers on these topics. He is the ASHRAE liaison for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and works closely with companies in the buildings and clean energy sectors.