We offer four fields of specialization:
- Environmental and Resource Management,
- Environmental Science,
- Geomatics, and
- Human Geography.
No doubt in all disciplines, but especially in one like Geography which consciously espouses the integration of sub-areas, it is no easy matter to categorize individual faculty by fields of specialization. The approach taken below is to place faculty into the field which best describes their primary research interests. Each faculty member is identified only once as “core”, but most appear elsewhere in the category of “other.” We believe that this classification best represents the true strengths of the Program in the different fields, while also demonstrating the breadth and depth of experience on which students can draw.
Environmental and Resource Management
Core faculty: Armitage, Deadman, Doberstein, Latta, Lemieux, McLeman, Nepal, Parker, Robertston, D. Scott, Sioui, Slocombe, Wandel
Other faculty: Andrey, Blay-Palmer, Byrne, DeLoe, Doherty, Imort, McKenzie, B. Murphy, Robinson, Wolfe
A wide range of topics are well supported by faculty interests. These include policy formulation and evaluation, sustainable development, and environmental management; conservation; water resources; energy resources; protected areas; and provincial and national parks; recreation; tourism; climate change impacts and environmental and social adaptation; environmental impact assessment; and natural and human-induced hazards.
Environmental Science
Core faculty: Byrne, Duguay, English, Fletcher, Hamilton, LeDrew, Macrae, Marsh, Petrone, Price, Quinton, Stone, Venkiteswaran, Wolfe
Other faculty: Kelly, McKenzie, Robertson, D. Scott
This field is concerned with ecosystem characteristics and processes and the movement of mass (materials, water, carbon and nutrients) and energy among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. Faculty are interested in geomorphology, as well as ecosystem science and management. Both field studies and modelling occur in the areas of hydrology and water chemistry. There are major strengths in cold regions research in cryosphere research, and in wetland studies. In climatology there is an emphasis on climatic change processes and impacts. Applied aspects of physical geography are emphasized.
Geomatics
Core faculty: Deadman, Feick, Li, Johnson, Kelly, Kheyrollah Pour, LeDrew, Roberts, Robertson, Robinson
Other faculty: Byrne, Doherty, Duguay, Hamilton, Price, Tan
Geomatics faculty provide coverage of all facets of spatial data handling from acquisition by remote sensing, aerial photography, and global positioning systems; through storage, manipulation, display and modelling by geographic information systems and cartography. In addition, there is research on spatial pattern analysis and spatial applications of multivariate statistical procedures, spatial optimization and spatial data models, decision support systems, and computer modelling and simulation.
Human geography
Core faculty: Andrey, Blay-Palmer, Cockayne, Crush, Doherty, Elliott, Imort, McLeman, C. Mitchell, Mountz, S. Scott, Vinodrai, Walton-Roberts, Worth
Other faculty: Byrne, Feick, Johnson, B. Murphy, Nepal, Parker, D. Scott, Robertson
Faculty in the field of Human Geography offer a broad program that can be characterised by its investigation of a wide range of human/society dynamics and methodologies, as well as geographic thought and education. Foci include: food systems, spatial behaviour and human activity patterns, sustainable transportation, immigration and population, ethnicity, gender and cultural transformation, and geographies of health, disease and road safety, urban change, and historical heritage and landscape studies. Other themes include international development, global trade and energy, local labour markets and changing work arrangements, local and community economic development, development and socioeconomic implications, tourism planning, marketing and management, the history of geographic and environmental thought, and geographic education.