Keith Delaney PhD (he/him)
Biography
Keith Delaney's philosophy of teaching involves engaging, inspiring, and facilitating lifelong learning for all Earth and Environmental students by (1) showing passion for the Earth and Environmental Sciences as well as the importance of Geospatial Analysis, (2) establishing a positive, fun, and productive classroom or lab environment, and (3) opening students’ minds to think critically about various types and forms of geologic data and to communicate effectively to their peers and community about the amazing natural world around them. Dr. Delaney is a leader in the quantification and geospatial analysis of natural hazards, specialising in landslide and geohazard research, using a combination of computer simulation, modelling, remote sensing, and geographical information systems.
Research Interests
Geospatial Data
Geohazards
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Remote Sensing
Geomorphological Modelling
Climate Change Impacts
Scholarly Research
My research interests and expertise involve a multidisciplinary approach to geomatics, remote sensing, geomorphology, geology, and hydrology, with an emphasis on their inter-connections with: 1) natural hazards; 2) the constantly evolving urban landscape (e.g. disasters and conflict); and, 3) impacts from climate change. My research and expertise is summarised as follows: 1) the utilisation of GIS and remote sensing techniques to analyse, model, and quantify large-scale catastrophic natural hazards (e.g. landslides, earthquakes, outburst floods), and their secondary processes (e.g. tsunamis, river damming), including their geospatial impacts to both the human and natural landscapes; 2) advanced techniques in urban damage detection in remotely sensed data of conflict and natural disasters (e.g. 2013 Aleppo, Syria; 2011 Japan earthquake; 2010 Haiti earthquake); and 3) advanced training in GIS and remote sensing software packages (ESRI, PCI, ENVI), as well as highly developed expertise in the 2D and 3D modeling of landslides (DAN/W; DAN3D) and outburst floods (FLO-2D; HEC-RAS).
Education
2016, PostDoc, Detection of rock slope displacement in glacial environments by interferometry: measurement of a high-mountain geotechnical response in climate change in NW North America (British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska). Funded by: Canadian Space Agency
2015, PostDoc, Characterisation of urban battlespace: implications for combat, building damage, and civilian casualties in hybrid wars. Funded by: Department of National Defense
2014, PostDoc, Canadians at risk – tsunami hazard and risk assessment on Canada’s Pacific coast using geospatial modeling and high-resolution RADARSAT-2 data. Funded by: Canadian Space Agency
2014, Doctorate, Earth Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada
2006, Masters, Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada
2003, Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Geography, University of Guelph, Canada
Awards
2023 Distinguished Teaching Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
2023 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
2022 Excellence in Science Teaching Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
2021 Jane Lang Teaching Excellence Award, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo
2020 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
2015 W.B. Pearson Medal, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
2012 Amit & Meena Chakma Award for Exceptional Teaching by a Student, Faculty of Science, University of Waterloo
Service
2023-present Earth and Environmental Sciences FAUW Representative
2018-present Leader of first-year Orientation Field Trip to the Elora Gorge
2018-2021 Teaching Fellow for the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department
Affiliations and Volunteer Work
2023-present EES FAUW Representative
2021-2025 Financial Director for the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences
2018-2021 EES Teaching Fellow
Editor for Springer Journal Landslides
Organiser and Lead for Annual September Elora Gorge Orientation Field Trip for Incoming EES Students
Teaching*
- CIVE 153 - Earth Engineering
- Taught in 2025
- EARTH 121L - Introductory Earth Sciences Laboratory
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- EARTH 122 - Introductory Environmental Sciences
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- EARTH 122L - Introductory Environmental Sciences Laboratory
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- EARTH 123 - Introductory Hydrology
- Taught in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025
- EARTH 438 - Engineering Geology
- Taught in 2022, 2025
- EARTH 638 - Advanced Engineering Geology
- Taught in 2022, 2025
- ENVE 153 - Earth Engineering
- Taught in 2025
- GEOE 153 - Earth Engineering
- Taught in 2025
* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.