Corey McPherson is a PhD candidate in Sustainability Management at the University of Waterloo and the Associate Director, Planning and Implementation at Royal Roads University. His doctoral research examines how structural conditions, power dynamics, and agency-based motivations shape municipal leadership in climate change mitigation. He is a researcher with the Municipal Net-Zero Action Research Partnership (N-ZAP), where he contributes to Working Group 5: Knowledge Mobilization, supporting the national dissemination of tools, training, and resources to municipalities across Canada.
At Royal Roads, Corey leads strategic initiatives in transnational education, including the planning and implementation of international branch campuses - most recently in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates - and supports institution-wide transformation efforts through integrated planning and innovation.
Corey brings over a decade of leadership experience spanning the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He has held senior roles at BC Transit, co-founded Local Urban Bites Inc., a sustainable food enterprise, and serves as Vice President of the QChat Support Association, a 2SLGBTQIA+ peer-support organization.
His recent peer-reviewed publication, "Leadership and Climate Change Mitigation: A Systematic Literature Review", appeared in Climate (2024), and he has forthcoming work focused on comparing sustainability education in business programming, a life cycle analysis of a British Columbia-based meal kit company, a systematic literature review looking at external and internal organizational structures and how they impact climate policy and action, and finally, a scoping review looking at meta analysis of treatment interventions for delusional disorder. Corey also played a lead role in the creation of the University of Waterloo's new micro-credential, Climate Adaptation Accounting and Financing, designed to support municipal professionals navigating climate and financial planning challenges.
As an educator, Corey has taught and supported courses at the University of Waterloo, Royal Roads University, and Camosun College. His teaching portfolio includes:
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ENBUS 602 - Introduction to Sustainability for Business (Graduate, University of Waterloo)
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BBA 300A/B - Applied Business Projects (Royal Roads University)
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BUS 150 - Introduction to Management and BUS 290 - Applied Business Strategy (Camosun College)
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BUS 508 - Accounting for Strategic Decisions (MBA Accounting Coach, Royal Roads University)
