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Van Cappellen, a professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department, adds this honour to an impressive list of accomplishments. He was appointed University Professor in 2024 and holds a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Ecohydrology.

He researches water quality, which goes beyond the criteria that might immediately come to mind, like harsh chemicals or green algae. Water quality starts with things as simple as water temperature and its ability to support local wildlife, and considers more complicated factors like context, change over time, and cumulative effects.

Van Cappellen’s team looks at baseline water quality in a particular environment, such as a lake, river, or groundwater. Once that baseline has been determined, they track how water quality changes due to influences like land use, a warming climate, less predictable rainfall patterns, and surface runoff from urban streets.

While a lot of the conversation around climate change includes dire predictions and a focus on prevention, Van Cappellen is most interested in how to deal with changes as they happen, which he talks about in terms of resilience.

“What’s important about the research my colleagues and I do is that we work to advance science so that we can be better prepared to deal with the changes taking place in our world,” explains Van Cappellen. “Whether it’s forest fires or droughts or the flooding of downtown Toronto, or longer-term issues like climate change, the important question is, how do we become resilient as a society and deal with these issues?”

For Van Cappellen, the answer to this question lies in better translating fundamental science into real-world solutions. He hopes the high profile of this award will help him focus more attention on this process.

“I want to spend more time trying to reach the people who make decisions and the people who implement those decisions,” says Van Cappellen. “We need to look at the layer between the scientists and policymakers. This boundary layer, which includes NGOs, people working for cities, and professional organizations, can translate between scientists, policymakers, and implementers. This is something I want to advocate for.”

But he can’t do it alone, which is another reason why Van Cappellen is honoured to receive this medal. “This award recognizes a range of people from many different walks of life, not just postsecondary education,” he says. “I am proud to be a part of this broader group affecting positive change in our country. Society is built by all these different social actors, and together we can make change happen.”