Janelle Hodge (BSc 2025), a CivMin MASc student under the supervision of Prof. Ron Hofmann, has been awarded the Professor Barry J. Adams Graduate Fellowship.
This fellowship is awarded annually to a research stream graduate student (MASc or PhD) in the Environmental Section of the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, preferably based on demonstrated performance in hydraulics, hydrology and/or municipal water systems engineering.
Hodge is entering the second year of her MASc degree, where her research focuses on improving the detection and monitoring of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in freshwater systems. Her work integrates satellite remote sensing, machine learning, and direct water-quality measurements to develop more accurate and reliable approaches for identifying these blooms. Improving the reliability of these detection methods can provide water managers with more accurate information to respond effectively to cyanobacteria in source waters and inform treatment decisions that reduce the risk of cyanobacterial toxins entering drinking-water supplies.
She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science from U of T, with a double major in Biodiversity & Conservation Biology and Environmental Biology. She also earned certificates in Sustainability Pathways and Business Fundamentals, and was recognized as a Dean’s List Scholar and recipient of multiple academic and leadership awards. Additionally, while an undergrad, she was a volunteer with the University of Toronto Trash Team and a four-year utility player with the U of T Varsity Blues Softball team. Hodge was featured in reporting of a double-header with TMU, helping the team in earning back-to-back wins on September 14, 2024.
“I am incredibly grateful to receive the Professor Barry J. Adams Graduate Fellowship. It is an honour to receive an award that celebrates Professor Adams’ lasting contributions to hydrology and water resources, which are especially inspiring as I continue my own research in freshwater systems,” says Hodge.
“Janelle is a great example of the interdisciplinarity of environmental engineering,” reflects Prof. Hofmann. “She did her undergrad at U of T in Environmental Biology, and I remember being thrilled when she reached out to me to talk about opportunities to bridge her science background with our applied work in water quality engineering. She brings many fundamental science skills to our research that gives her a unique and creative perspective. In my experience, Master’s graduates with both science and engineering backgrounds can be in great demand by employers such as consulting firms that work in the area of watershed conservation or environmental assessment, or water management groups in municipal or provincial government. Coupled with her outstanding sense of community engagement and volunteerism, I’m sure she’s a future leader. I’m delighted that our research group can provide her with a bit of a launching pad towards her goals.”