Erin O'Connell, PhD

Erin O'Connell is an Associate Professor, Teaching Stream at the University of Waterloo. She teaches undergraduate courses focused on environmental studies (ENVS 195: Introduction to Environmental Studies) and a range of upper-year courses focused on geography, natural hazards, and resources management. Her approach to teaching emphasizes learning via real-world case studies and the integration of multiple perspectives on environmental challenges. She is particularly interested in innovative and inclusive pedagogical approaches that support student engagement in large and diverse classrooms.

• disaster risk reduction

• vulnerability reduction

• resilience

• post-disaster recovery

• housing reconstruction

• social capital

• faith-based disaster responses

Erin’s research interests have focused on disaster risk reduction, including disaster vulnerability reduction and building sustainable and resilient communities. Areas of focus include community-based disaster recovery, housing reconstruction, livelihoods, social capital, and faith-based responses to hazards and disasters. Much of her research has taken place in Asia, particularly Indonesia and the Philippines, although this has expanded into southern Africa and the Caribbean in recent years.

• 2013, PhD, Geography, University of Waterloo, Canada

• 2008, MA, Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

• 2006, BEd, University of Western Ontario, Canada

• 2005, BA, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada

• 2023 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

• 2020 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

• 2013 Dobbin Scholar, Ireland-Canada University Foundation, University College Cork

• 2021 - present: Associate Chair, Undergraduate, Department of Geography and Environmental Management

• 2023 - present: Board of Directors, Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW)

• 2023 - present: Faculty of Environment Representative on the Teaching Stream Committe of the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW)

• 2018 - 2023: Faculty of Environment Representative on Senate

• 2018 - 2020: Faculty of Environment Representative on the Committee on Student Mental Health

• Canadian Risks and Hazards Network

• Canadian Association of Geographers

• ENVS 195 - Introduction to Environmental Studies
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• GEOG 101 - Human Geographies: People, Space and Change
  • Taught in 2022, 2023
• GEOG 306 - Human Dimensions of Natural Hazards
  • Taught in 2024, 2026
• GEOG 310 - Geodesy and Surveying
  • Taught in 2024

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Zarin, T., & O’Connell, E.P. (2026). “Inclusive Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction: Addressing Accessibility Needs in British Columbia.” Canadian Geographies, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/cag.70059

• Bishwokarma, D., Nepal, S.K., Doberstein, B., O’Connell, E., & McCordic, C. (2026). The influence of social capital and tourism on post-disaster recovery: A review of global evidence. Environmental Management, 76.

• Dearden, P., Mitchell, B., O’Connell, E., & Lantz, T. (2025). Environmental Change and Challenge: A Canadian Perspective (7th Ed). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.

• O’Connell, E.P. (2024). “Sidoarjo Mud Volcano (Indonesia).” In The Encyclopedia of Technological Hazards and Disasters in the Social Sciences, edited by D.A. Gill, L.A. Ritchie, and N. Campbell. London: Edward Elgar.

• O’Connell, E.P. & Doberstein, B. (2022). Settlement Shelter and Reconstruction. In T. McGee & E. Penning-Roswell (Eds), Handbook of Environmental Hazards and Society (pp. 534-549). Routledge. DOI: 10.4324/9780367854584-39.

• O’Connell, E.P., Abbott, R.P., & White, R.S. (2019). ‘Generic’ versus ‘Mature’ Measures of Religiosity: Comparing two quantitative measures of religiosity. European Journal of Mental Health, 14(1), 21-40, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5708/EJMH.14.2019.1.2.

• Oulahen, G., Mortsch, L., O’Connell, E., Harford, D., Rutledge, A. (2019). Local practitioners’ use of vulnerability and resilience concepts in pursuing adaptation to flood hazards. Climatic Change, 153(1), 41-58, DOI: 10.1007/s10584-019-02386-w.

• Oulahen, G., Klein, Y., Mortsch, L., O’Connell, E.P., Harford, D. (2018). Barriers and Drivers of Planning for Climate Change Adaptation across Three Levels of Government in Canada. Planning Theory & Practice, 19(3), 405-421, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14649357.2018.1481993.

• Moghal, Z. & O’Connell, E.P. (2018). Multiple Stressors Impacting a Small Island Tourism Destination-Community: A nested vulnerability assessment of Oistins, Barbados. Tourism Management Perspectives, 26, 78-88, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2018.03.004

• O’Connell, E.P., Abbott, R.P., & White, R.S. (2017). Religious Struggles after Typhoon Haiyan: A Case Study from Bantayan Island. Disaster Prevention and Management, 26(3), 330-347, DOI: 10.1108/DPM-02-2017-0041.