Maya Watson Email and Phone Number

At WSP, Maya coordinates small teams and acts as a project manager on research and engagement projects, including socioeconomic impact assessments, mitigation options analyses, and inclusive design scopes for transportation, technology, energy transition, climate resilience, and sustainable infrastructure development projects. She uses her skills in writing, strategic communications, and policy analysis to produce high-quality reports, strategies, communication materials, and briefings. She also develops and implements communication and engagement strategies to consult with diverse audiences including, Indigenous Nations and the general public.

At ICTC's Digital Think Tank, Maya led and coordinated small teams on research projects that engaged with complex regulatory and social issues related to emerging technologies. End products include industry trend reports, policy impact analyses, labour market analyses, talent management strategies, as well as EDI-informed human resource policies and action plans. To produce these products, Maya led interviews, focus groups, and advisory committees with various stakeholders, including technology CEOs, farmers, lobbyist groups, healthcare organizations, newcomers, Indigenous Nations, members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community, and government agencies. Topics include smart cities, electric vehicles, smart mobility, telehealth, agri-food tech, procurement, creative tech (e.g., video games), and ocean tech.Research findings from these studies were cited in publications including The Logic, iPolitics, and the Harvard Carr Centre for Human Rights.

At the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Maya helped coordinate the final stages and publication of a research project exploring tech applications for an end-of-life care communication platform (think: palliative care Facebook). As part of this project, Maya conducted literature reviews, managed data, scored and analyzed surveys, recruited participants, and performed coordination tasks

At the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), Maya led a research project analyzing the 27 European Union National Energy and Climate Plans to advocate for cyclist rights. She also supported ECF's mandate including in submissions and analyses of the Strategy on Sustainable and Smart Mobility, Rail Passenger Rights, EU Road Safety Audits, Court of Auditor's Report. Maya also helped track tactical infrastructure developments that support cycling and active transportation across the EU in response to the COVID-19 pandemic using an interactive dashboard.

Maya supported the 2018 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. She assisted the communications team in social media strategy planning and execution to promote the conservation and mainstreaming of biodiversity as well as coverage in popular media outlets. Maya also wrote policy briefings, social media content, and web articles and monitored media outlets for biodiversity policy research developments.

Maya co-wrote, researched, and edited papers on cycling and the impact of communication technologies on the development of future environmental policy in the Don Valley (among other papers) with Ryerson's Graduate Program Director Dr. Matthew Tiessen.