Rachel Giles (she/her), Rochman Lab  

What do you study? I study plastic pollution, and other human-induced stressors, in urban streams and rivers. 

What does this mean you do day to day? You’ll either find me knee deep in the Humber River (Niwa’ah Onega’gaih’ih) sporting layers, toe, and hand-warmers, or shoeless and knee deep in mangrove mud in Vietnam counting garbage, digging up bugs, or collecting water. Occasionally, I make it to the lab to identify what I caught, count microplastics, or play with baby mussels (they are adorable). 

When you aren’t standing in rivers, how do you spend your time? I cook extravagant meals that involve way too many dishes: My mom’s Sri Lankan red lentil curry (It’s SO GOOD I will teach you if you ask); homemade seafood pasta; dumplings. I also like to bike around the city, usually to the East End—Tommy Thompson Park for a dip in the cool water or the RC Harris Water Treatment Plant to read, take in the views, or nap. You’ll also find me teaching dance to 5-year-olds, where we somersault, and pretend to scoop snowflakes from the ground to eat. 

Why did you take on this committee work? When I first arrived as a new student, I was taken aback by how welcoming everyone was. After a couple of years out of school, and disconnected from a strong community, I immediately felt at home. If you’ve met me, you’ll know that I love to chat. In these fleeting moments in the halls, I hope to build a community where everyone feels welcome. Whether it’s meeting someone through one of our events, a peer-to-peer event where you can vent about something that’s going on in school or life, chatting in the lunchroom, or taking a walk around the block, I hope everyone finds a home here in our department. 

How would I find you if I need to? During non-covid times, you can often find me in my office (3047 ESC), or the lunchroom (conveniently located across the hall from me). Online, you can find me on twitter (@rachelkgiles_) or email (rachel.giles@mail.utoronto.ca). I’m very open to grabbing a cup of tea and having a chat.