News and Events

Wicked Problems Award Winners (2022-2023)

Congratulations to the winners of the inaugural LeaderVision Atlantic Wicked Problems Lab Awards, generously sponsored by SMU Alumnus Douglas Coll.  

The winners are:

  • Diego Rodrigues who is working on education access in Brazil’s favelas.
  • Sainabou Demba who is working on sustainable agriculture to address food insecurity in The Gambia.
  • Mohshinul Karim who is working on waste reduction through the thrift economy in Bangladesh

These awards will be offered again next year (2023/24) with applications open to all SMU undergraduate and graduate students who have an idea on how to address a wicked problem.


Making under-resourced culture and heritage sites more relevant, accessible, inclusive, and engaged with their communities.

The Wicked Problems Lab is partnering with Dr. Kirrily Freeman of the SMU Department of History to apply new technologies such as 3-D imagining to digitize museums and other cultural heritage sites across Nova Scotia.  


Addressing Food Insecurity Across Nova Scotia

The Wicked Problems Lab is dedicated to addressing some of society's most pressing needs, with food insecurity at the top of the list.  Dr. Mathew Novak is working with Feed Nova Scotia to review their current network of food banks and evaluate new strategies to meet the needs of communities across the province.