Profile Stories
Dr. Amy Heim: PhD grad studies environmental benefits of green roofs
Congratulations to valedictorian Dr. Amy Heim, who is graduating from the Faculty of Science at Saint Mary’s University with a Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Science.
Originally from Rochester, New York, she received a Bachelor of Science from Allegheny College in 2008 and a Master of Applied Science from Saint Mary’s in 2013, working with supervisor Dr. Jeremy Lundholm. She currently works with Dr. Tony Charles, examining hazards faced by Nova Scotian coastal communities.
Dr. Heim’s research focused on how the biodiversity of green roofs, and in turn ecosystem services, can be increased and maintained for an extended period of time. By understanding more about plant coexistence, or why different plant species are able to co-occur in the same environment for extended periods, green roof infrastructure could potentially be even more valuable in making urban environments more environmentally friendly. She started this work while completing her Master of Science at Saint Mary’s, using the green roof facilities on campus for her research.
“One of the ways we can increase the benefits provided by green roofs is through the increasing biodiversity,” said Dr. Heim. “However, just because you have species you want to grow together does not mean they will remain on the roof for an extended period of time. My research has focused on applying theory from the natural environment to the green roof system to encourage different species to coexist for as long as the roof is around.”
Dr. Heim’s work also showed a surprising finding about soil depth on green roofs. When soil depth varies, taller plants can thrive, she explained. This allows green roofs to perform more efficiently to both reduce storm water runoff and to reduce thermal temperatures.
Reducing storm water runoff in a city helps keeps pollutants such as oils and heavy metals out of waterways, and avoids sewage overflow, which is of course when sewage treatment plants release wastewater directly into water bodies. Reducing thermal temperature is another key benefit of green roofs, and is why some large cities in Canada and Europe have green roof bylaws to encourage them.
“There's also a lot of secondary benefits like attracting pollinators, reducing noise pollution, and adding to the beauty of a city,” said Dr. Heim. “Plants can also reduce air pollution and store carbon.”
Her next goal is to continue her work on green roofs, examining how the microorganisms in the roof and the substrate change over time, affecting the plant community, which will in turn affect the ecosystem services provided by the roof.
Amy has received numerous academic and research awards, including the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, and has published 15 peer-reviewed journal articles and a book chapter. She was actively involved in campus life, founding a graduate students’ society, volunteering as herbarium curator, organizing a research competition, and serving on ten university committees. For her dedication to Saint Mary’s University, she earned the Student Leadership Recognition Award. She is now working as a coastal hazards researcher.
She would like to thank those who assisted her and made her time at Saint Mary’s such a rewarding experience, particularly the faculty and staff from the departments of biology and environmental science.
When asked for advice to offer a student considering a graduate degree, Dr. Heim suggested that they should decide whether they need the degree for the next steps in their life.
“And for the PhD, you should only do it if you love research or if you need it for your career,” she said. “Personally, I would've done a PhD regardless of my future goals as I love research.”
