Dr. Suzanne Kearns

Founder & Director, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics / Associate Professor, University of Waterloo

Dr. Kearns is an aviation academic with a focus on education and improving pilot performance. Her research explores how to optimize the next generation of aviation professionals (NGAP) by analyzing processes to attract people to the field of aviation. An accomplished educator both in the classroom and through electronic courseware, she has taught thousands of aviation professionals worldwide. She is a former airplane and helicopter pilot and is internationally recognized within the aviation industry.

Dr. Kearns is the author or co-author of six books, including the textbook “Fundamentals of International Aviation” which is used around the world in multiple translations. In 2021 she founded the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), a research institute at the University of Waterloo which she leads as its Director. WISA includes more than 90 faculty members and has a mission to become the world’s leading hub for sustainable aeronautical research, technology, and education.

Achieving a Socially Sustainable Future in Aviation - Promoting Inclusion and Optimizing Human Performance

This presentation will explore the ‘social’ dimension of sustainability, which is often far less understood than environmental sustainability. With increasing personnel shortages across the industry, and passenger air rage incidents on the rise, it is critical to imagine what a viable career in the skies will look like in the future. Social sustainability prioritizes building equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforces – with effective training and support to optimize human performance.