Nadja Kunz completed her undergraduate and PhD degrees at the University of Queensland, where she specialized in chemical engineering, business management, and interdisciplinary engineering. After completing her PhD, Nadja spent 2 years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Eawag Aquatic Research Institute in Switzerland. She subsequently consulted as a Water Specialist for the International Finance Corporation where she worked with 10 mining companies in the South Gobi region of Mongolia to strengthen their water management and community engagement practices.

Since 2017, Nadja has been an Assistant Professor at The University of British Columbia, where she is jointly appointed across the UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (Faculty of Arts), and the Norman B Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering (Faculty of Applied Sciences). She also holds a Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship, awarded through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Within her research, Nadja develops tools, frameworks and models to better conceptualize, measure, assess and communicate water-related risks to diverse stakeholders including companies, investors, indigenous rights-holders, communities and governments.

She is also interested in how to improve the contribution of the global mining sector towards sustainable development, in a way that minimizes environmental impacts and leaves positive long-term legacies for host communities. Nadja leads an interdisciplinary research team at UBC, bridging the fields of engineering, hydrology, social science and operations research. Within her research projects, Nadja frequently collaborates with representatives from beyond academe, including mining companies, investors, indigenous rights-holders and governments.