Dr Helen Onyeaka and Dr Liza Jabbour have been appointed as Deputy Directors for the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action (BISCA).
Over the next two years, Helen and Liza will work alongside David Hannah (BISCA Director) to foster engagement across our academic community; to establish a well-connected network for interdisciplinary research in sustainability and climate action; and to identify opportunities to enhance our academic reputation and impact.
Professor Hannah said: "I am delighted we are appointing two Deputy Directors in the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action to engage our academic community and external stakeholders, and advance transdisciplinary research in sustainability and take climate action”
Dr Helen Onyeaka is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering. Her research spans sustainable and resilient food systems: waste valorisation, food safety and security. She focuses on novel technologies in food processing and preservation, aiming to reduce the carbon footprint in the food sector. Her commitment to sustainability stems from a profound belief that the intersection of technology and food systems is key to our environmental future.
Dr Onyeaka said: "To me, sustainability is more than a concept; it's a guiding principle in my research and teaching. It means innovating in ways that ensure our food systems are productive, environmentally sound, and resource-efficient, thereby safeguarding our planet for future generations."
True sustainability is a balance between environmental, economic and social considerations with the aim of building a more resilient, equitable, and greener future.
Dr Liza Jabbour is an Associate Professor of Economics. Her research focuses on the interplay between global value chains and the environment with a particular interest in environmental innovations.
She said: "Sustainability is a holistic guiding principle to the way we should act as individuals, institutions, and political bodies. I strongly believe that sustainability must be anchored in the principles of social justice and inter-generational equity. For me, true sustainability is a balance between environmental, economic and social considerations with the aim of building a more resilient, equitable, and greener future."
Associate Professor
Staff profile for Dr Helen Onyeaka
Senior Lecturer in Business Economics
Liza joined the Business School in 2010. Previously she worked as a lecturer at the Manchester Business School and as a research fellow at the University of Nottingham.
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability)
David M. Hannah is Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability), Professor of Hydrology and UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences, and Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action.
