Faculty News – September 2011

Activities

Dr. Don Alexander's (PhD University of Waterloo) research for the past decade has focused on issues of urban sustainability and place-making. He has given numerous presentations on assessing the strengths and weaknesses of specific developments, past and present, and the role of different agents in society in promoting or obstructing sustainability. Dr. Alexander is currently on professional development leave for the fall semester, and plans to complete a book on re-orienting academic thought for planning and development activity towards a place-making paradigm.

Matt Bowes (MES Lakehead University) is a PhD candidate at the University of Victoria, and is in his third year of teaching at VIU. He delivers courses on Environmental Geography, Economic Geography, and Regions of Canada.
Matt is also a nature-based entrepeneur and owns and operates a sea kayaking company that runs multi-day paddling expeditions in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island. His research interests include human dimensions of natural resource management, parks and protected areas, recreation and tourism, and sustainability.

Dr. Alan Gilchrist (PhD University of Liverpool) is the new Chair of Geography (2011-2013). He has completed work on the Vancouver Island Water Resources Vulnerability Mapping Project and is in the process of disseminating the results. The project's aim was to produce maps of the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater on Vancouver Island to contamination by chemical hazards, and to help Regional District planners take groundwater vulnerability into account when planning land use and development. This project has provided employment for several graduates of the Geography and Advanced Diploma in GIS programs at VIU, who provided technical expertise to complete the GIS mapping part of the project. In June 2011, Dr. Gilchrist and co-workers gave an initial half-day workshop for the Capital Regional District in Victoria called "Groundwater Protection and Vulnerability Mapping Workshop". The workshop was directed at planners and decision makers on the use of DRASTIC groundwater maps for land use planning and source water protection on Vancouver Island. Three additional workshops are being given in September 2011 in Parksville, Duncan and Courtney. 

Dr. Jeff Lewis (BSc, MSc and PhD University of Victoria) is a faculty mentor for the Awareness of Climate change through Education and Research (ACER) project, a university based initiative to promote a greater understanding of the science and social implications of climate change to students and the general public throughout Vancouver Island and coastal BC. The program includes an interactive presentation, the development of hands-on activities and educational materials and an annual symposium with workshops and guest speakers. The presentation and associated activities promote scientific literacy with an emphasis on Earth observation, data evaluation and visualization, problem solving and critical thinking. It provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of this pressing environmental issue, promote relevant post-secondary programs and encourage careers in the sciences, engineering and humanities.

Brian Roberts is a Professional Agrologist and Geoscientist with an MSc in Earth Sciences from Simon Fraser University, and is his in third year of teaching a course on Environmental Geography at VIU. Since moving to Vancouver Island Brian has worked with the Ministry of Forests in Nanaimo as a Research Geomorphologist and Hydrologist, and as an independent Environmental Consultant. Currently he consults for Talam Earth and Environment Ltd. Brian also promotes local sustainable energy development and education as a founding member and President of the Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op (www.smellbetter.org) and the Executive Director of Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society (www.cowichanenergy.org).  This past summer, Brian organized an international conference on Collective Bio-fuels in Duncan. Students interested in becoming involved in bio-fuels and other alternative energy research are encouraged to contact Brian.

Dr. Pamela Shaw (BA and MA University of Alberta, PhD University of Victoria) has research interests in retail geography, community-based participatory research, and adaptive co-management focused on estuarine environments.
Dr. Shaw is an elected Senator representing the Faculty of Social Sciences and is Chair of the Bylaw, Policies and Procedures Committee, Co-chair of the Sustainability Committee, and is involved in a wide variety of activities both on and off campus. Dr. Shaw is also an Adjunct Professor of Geography at the Univeristy of Victoria where she supervises several post-graduate students. Her first textbook, entitled A Field Guide to Communication (Oxford University Press), was published in 2008 and her second textbook, Boxed In: Searching for the Public Good in Urban Planning, is currently under review with UBC Press.

Dr. Shaw and a team of university researchers from three universities and a wide variery of community based agencies are involved in the development of a major grant application focused on the Nanaimo River Estuary.  In addition, Dr. Shaw is continuing with community-based research with the Good Neighbours Committee (Harewood community), and is working with students from three geography classes over two terms to complete the Bamfield Official Community Plan for the Alberni Clayquot Regional District.  Dr. Shaw was awarded the J. Alistar McVey Award for Teaching Excellence at the 2010 Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers' Conference in Edmonton. She was on the Organizing Committee for the 2011 Planning Institute of BC Conference in June 2011, which attracted more than 400 delegates to Nanaimo, and is an invited panelist at the Nanaimo Area Land Trust Conference in September 2011.
Dr. Shaw is also presenting at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference on behalf of the Snuneymuxw First Nation in October 2011 in Vancouver.

Dr. Michael Tripp (PhD University of Victoria ) attended the provincial Geography Articulation meeting at Camosun College in Victoria in early May, and will be delivering a talk in San Francisco in late September sponsored by the Russian Consulate.

Dr. Hannah Wilson (PhD University of Waterloo) is back teaching full-time following her maternity leave last year.

Publications

Alexander, D. and Jones, B. (2010) "Rural Sustainability and the 'Lenses' of Place" accepted for book resulting from Taking the Next Steps conference on rural sustainability at the University of Alberta, Augustana, 22 October 2010.

Alexander, D. (2010) "Review of Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change" by Peter Newman, Timothy Beatley, and Heather Boyer, Alternatives Journal, 36(3).

Alexander, D.(2010) "Review of Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems: Principles and Practices" by Peter Newman and Isabella Jennings, Planning West, 51(4).

Alexander, D. (2009) "Review of the Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World" by Eric Weiner, Planning West, 51(2).

*Liggett, J. and Gilchrist, A. (2010) "Technical Summary of Intrinsic Vulnerability Mapping Methods in the Regional Districts of Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley",  Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 6168, 64 pages.

Loscerbo, C. and Shaw, P. (2009) "Food Security on Campus", Plan Canada, V. 49, No. 2.

* not a member of the department