My name is Debbie Gonzalez Canada and I work advancing public participation in environmental issues. I am interested in how public participation and the ethical use of new technologies (including AI) can contribute to risk management and resilience building, biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, urban planning, and social inclusion.

Between 2019 and 2025, I did my PhD at the University of Melbourne, investigating practices in digital biodiversity citizen science. During that time, I also tutored about AI and digital ethics at the University of Melbourne, lectured and shared research insights, and worked part-time in new media and as a research assistant. I hold a Bachelor’s Honours in Communication and Education, a Master of Environment, and a Certificate in Small-Group Teaching.

Supervisors and research groups

Dr Stephanie Lavau and Professor Kathryn Williams have been my PhD supervisors and mentors. We are part of the Environmental Social Science Research Group within the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences (SAFES) at the University of Melbourne. Dr Lavau and I are also part of The Waterway Ecosystem Research Group. 

During my PhD, I participated in the Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA), the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), and the Citizen Science and Open Science Community of Practice (CS&OS CoP). I also engaged in conferences and events organized by the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST), and joined the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE) within the University of Melbourne. In 2022, I was a Visiting Scholar at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.