Dr. Karen Liu has been conducting green roof research since 2000. Before joining the private sector, Karen was a lead researcher of the green roof programs at the National Research Council and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She led the research teams to instrument and monitor various green roofs in Ontario and British Columbia to evaluate their water balance and examine their potential in stormwater management. Karen was a key participant in the research consortium that developed the first national wind testing standard for vegetated roofing CSA A123.24. Additionally, Karen has vast practical experience having worked on hundreds of green roof projects across North America, Europe and Asia. Over her prolific green roof career, Karen has authored and contributed to dozens of academic and technical articles. In 2015, one of her Construction Canada articles received the F. Ross Browne Award. Additionally, Karen helped develop the Green Roof Installation and Maintenance Professional (GRIMP) Program and led the inaugural training sessions at the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia(RCABC) in Langley, BC and Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) in Toronto, ON. Karen is on the Board of Directors of the Green Roof Infrastructure Network BC (GRINBC). Karen also serves as Lay Councillor for the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA)and actively participates on several committees.
