Renee is a Research Council Officer focusing on safety for humans in extreme environments (marine and arctic) at the NRC Institute for Ocean Technology in St. John's, Newfoundland.
Renee earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics from the University of British Columbia. The highlight was a co-op term at the Canadian Space Agency, working with the Microgravity vibration Isolation Mount (MIM) for astronaut Bjarni Tryggvasson.
In 2005, Renee attended the ISU summer session in Vancouver. She became a teaching associate the following year in Strasbourg and returned to complete the Master of Science in Space Studies program.
Following a practicum in the German space industry at OHB-System Life Sciences, Renee spent almost 2 years analyzing lightweight structures at a German bionics institute.
Renee is at home in anything mobile – flying a plane, riding a motorbike or floating a Volkswagen bug. She's watched the moon rise from the top of a square-rigged mast and dreams of engineering an easier way to get there.
Renee has mentored and supervised engineering students and looks forward to linking more Canadians with International Space University programs and growing a supportive Atlantic Canada space network as the CAISU Eastern Regional Director.