Alumni Highlight: Kristina Groves, MSc SEDV'15

The SEDV alumni network is full of diverse individuals with unique passions and special talents, and Kristina Groves is no exception. Kristina, a four-time Olympic speed skating medalist and proud owner of 34 individual World Cup medals, is also a proud graduate of the Masters of Science in Sustainable Energy Development offered at the University of Calgary.

After graduating with a BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary in 2004 and dedicating much of the next 10 years to speed skating, Kristina decided to shift gears and enrolled in the 2013-2014 MSc SEDV program. Her passion for sustainability, however, started at a young age. Kristina’s father, engineer and efficiency enthusiast (and proud owner of a 30-year-old solar thermal home system) served as a great role model. Much of their time was spent outside, enjoying the earth’s natural resources while remaining interested in the topic of how to use them sustainability, and focused on how to minimize their own environmental footprint. As an athlete, Kristina’s awareness of her personal environmental footprint was heightened as she flew around the world to compete internationally.

Prior to joining the SEDV program, Kristina was actively involved in various sustainability initiatives. In 2008, she became a Canadian Climate Leader after attending a training session hosted by Al Gore at the Climate Project Canada in Montreal. This opportunity equipped her with the skills and resources to deliver presentations on the science and impacts of climate change and potential solutions.

In 2011, channelling her inner Yoko-Ono, she hosted a ‘Bed-In for Sustainability’ while perched on a mattress in a Kensington storefront window. With several community leaders in the sustainability movement in attendance, her goal was to start a discussion about how to make Calgary a more sustainable city. She even received a personal e-mail from Yoko-Ono herself, commending her on her activism efforts.

During this time, she also received the University of Calgary’s Distinguished Alumni of the Decade award for her consistent athletic performance, her work with international humanitarian organization, ‘Right to Play’ and her efforts to build green initiatives within Speed Skate Canada.

Upon retiring from the skating world, the SEDV program helped restore her motivation and sense of purpose. It gave her the opportunity to apply her same work ethic and determination -  Kristina excelled in the program. The broad scope of the program helped further her understanding of, and passion for, sustainability. Her capstone project focused on the energy-water nexus and implications for the end-user and she is grateful for the holistic education she gained on the energy industry as a whole. Since graduating, she’s worked for a small consulting company on different projects in all different realms of the industry and finds it interesting to see how versatile and creative energy is.

When asked for one piece of advice she’d give to current students, Kristina remarks, “Be open to any number of opportunities that come up, networking, meeting new people. Work hard and you’ll learn a ton, because the more you put into the program the more you’ll get out of it.” Great advice coming from someone who exudes excellence in all aspects of life!

What’s next for Kristina? As a mother of two girls, priorities have shifted but she remains focused on living a sustainable life and continues to be involved in the sustainability community. She’s joined the Alberta Solar Co-op as a project ambassador turned board member, and continues to do consulting work in the energy industry.