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To confront the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, technical expertise alone isn’t enough, says ³Ô¹ÏÍø Earth and Ocean Sciences graduate student Nadiya Shore. She believes these challenges also demand strong communication, creative thinking and a collaborative spirit.

“You can't just be a scientist when it comes to climate change,” she says.

That conviction—born from an early fascination with both physics and theatre—brought her to the Coastal Climate Solutions Leaders (CCSL) program, an interdisciplinary initiative at UVic designed to prepare graduate students to lead on climate action. For Nadiya, it’s the perfect fit: a program that merges scientific rigour with policy awareness and real-world engagement.

Fundamentally collaborative, CCSL is the first program of its kind in Canada to engage students from across disciplines, including science, engineering, law, business and social sciences. Participants receive specialized climate training, attend monthly seminars and complete internships. Since its launch, CCSL has supported 35 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, investing more than $250,000 in scholarships and traineeships—including the Coastal Climate Solutions Leader Graduate Scholarship, awarded to Nadiya.

“This program is designed to prepare us for the climate action workforce, with a level of education that is so valuable for seeing the climate crisis and my own research from different angles,” she says.

Research that bridges the gap between local and global climate models

Nadiya’s current research uses machine learning to sharpen the resolution of climate models at local levels. While global climate models offer broad projections, they often lack the detail needed for communities planning for specific threats—such as floods, wildfires or extreme heat. Her work helps bridge that gap.

“The idea is that once we have this model trained and working well, you can take it to new regions and ask what extremes might look like there,” she explains.

By refining global climate data for local use, Nadiya hopes her work will help city planners, engineers and policymakers make more informed decisions, potentially saving lives and resources.

However, it’s not just technical training that sets CCSL apart. The program emphasizes applied learning and creative problem-solving—skills Nadiya traces back to her love of theatre and storytelling. For example, right now, she’s contributing to an exciting initiative with the program: helping to reimagine the climate change exhibit at the Royal BC Museum.

In addition to her research and coursework, Nadiya also works part-time with the special advisor on climate at UVic (Dr. Julia Baum), helping campus initiatives get off the ground. “There’s just opportunity after opportunity at CCSL,” she says.

Radical optimism in the face of overwhelming challenges

Nadiya’s journey has been supported, in part, by the generosity of the Wuitchik family—donors who understand the importance of investing in the next generation of climate leaders. In addition to establishing the Wuitchik Family Marine Sciences Graduate Scholarship, the family also created the Coastal Climate Solutions Leaders Graduate Scholarship. This targeted support allows students like Nadiya to pursue their ³Ô¹ÏÍø and research without the burden of financial stress.

This all feeds into what Nadiya describes as her sense of radical optimism—a mindset she considers essential in the face of overwhelming environmental challenges.

“I tell myself that things have changed before,” she says. “Think of all the changes that have happened in the past 100 years. Things will change again.”

She’s also motivated by the knowledge that even small improvements in climate outcomes can have profound impacts.

“There is always something to save,” she says. “Even a 0.05°C difference in warming can save so many species from extinction.”

That fierce commitment to both realism and hope is what sets Nadiya apart, and what the CCSL program is helping cultivate in a new generation of climate leaders. As she looks ahead, Nadiya is excited about what comes next.

“I feel very optimistic about the future of my career,” she says. “There are so many doors opening, and I know I’m building the skills I need to walk through them.”