MENU
Position: Associate Professor, Ecosystem Ecology and Climate Change
Office Location: B246D
Phone: 403-440-5126
Email: fnwaishi@mtroyal.ca
Office Hours: Varies every semester, but feel free to stop by!
Degrees:
Ph.D. Ecosystem Science and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University
MSc. Environmental Science and Climate Change, Manchester Metropolitan University
BSc Soil Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Dr. Felix Nwaishi joined the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the summer of 2018
from the University of Waterloo, where he completed his Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Since
joining Mount Royal University, he has established a nationally recognized and well-funded research
program in ecosystem science and environmental change, which directly informs his teaching in
ecology and ecosystem restoration. His teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential and community-
engaged learning, equipping students with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to address
complex ecological problems associated with human disturbances and the impacts of environmental
change. Student mentorship through undergraduate research assistantships and graduate student
supervision is central to his program, with an average of five students working in his laboratory each
summer. These projects provide real-world training and professional networking opportunities with
industry partners, government agencies, environmental consultants, and Indigenous communities.
As a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Ecosystem Science and recipient of the John R. Evans Leaders
Fund (CFI-JELF), Dr. Nwaishi leads the Integrated Ecosystem Research Lab at MRU. His research
program investigates the cumulative impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as
wildfire, resource extraction, and major infrastructure developments, on critical ecosystem functions,
including wetland resilience, water quality, and biodiversity in boreal and subarctic regions,
particularly within Indigenous territories. He follows an interdisciplinary approach, which combines
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with AI and ecosystem analytics to predict ecosystem change
and inform adaptive, culturally grounded management strategies. The outcomes of his program
support effective mitigation strategies and inform environmental policy and ecosystem restoration
frameworks for resource extraction industries, municipalities, and government agencies across
Canada.
His research programs have been supported by multiple funding agencies, including the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Environment and Climate Change
Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund (EDF), the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), Alberta
Innovates -Water Innovation Funds, the Municipal Government Grants, and the Canada Foundation
for Innovation (CFI).
Dr. Nwaishi continues to welcome opportunities to serve on environmental review or advisory
committees and collaborate on interdisciplinary projects that advance water innovations, wetland
ecosystem sustainability, environmental health, and climate adaptation through the respectful
integration of Traditional and scientific knowledge systems.