Faculty and staff

Please contact us with any questions regarding the Geography program at UNBC. We look forward to hearing from you.


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Department Chair

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Nolin, Dr. Catherine

PhD, MA (Queen's University at Kingston), BA Geography (University of Calgary)

Chair, Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor
Phone
250-960-5875
Cell
250-961-5875
Office
Teaching Lab 8-148

Biography

I am a social geographer with two broad areas of research interest that connect in many ways and often overlap: Guatemala/Violence/Development/Justice and Migration/Transnationalism/Refugee Studies.

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Faculty

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Ali, Dr. Faran

PhD (Saskatchewan), MSc (IHE, Delft), BSc (UET, Lahore), PEng

Assistant Professor
Phone
250-960-6355
Office
8-429

Research and Expertise

Areas of Expertise
Hydrology, Sediment Transport, Fluvial Geomorphology, Erosion Modelling, Climate Change
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Halseth, Dr. Greg

PhD, MA (Queen's University at Kingston, 1993), BA (University of British Columbia)

Professor, Geography
Canada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town Studies
Co-Director, UNBC Community Development Institute
Phone
250-960-5826
Office
Teaching Lab 8-141

Research and Expertise

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Hanlon, Dr. Neil

BAA (Ryerson University), MA, PhD (Queen's University at Kingston, 1998)

Professor, Geography
Adjunct Professor, Health Sciences and Northern Medical Program
Phone
250-960-5881
Office
Teaching Laboratory 8-136

Hawkins, Dr. Adam

PhD (UNBC), BSc (Western Washington University)

Assistant Professor, Physical Geography
Office
8-172

Research and Expertise

Areas of Expertise
Glacial Geology, Quaternary Geology, Paleoclimate, Natural Hazards, Geohazards.
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Meletis, Dr. Zoë

PhD (Duke University, 2007), MScPl (University of Toronto), BA (McGill University)

Associate Professor, Geography and Environmental and Sustainability Studies
NRES Graduate Coordinator
Phone
250-960-5920
Office
Teaching Lab 8-214
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Menounos, Dr. Brian

BA, MA (University of Colorado), PhD (University of British Columbia, 2002)

Professor, Geography
Phone
250-960-6266
Office
Teaching Lab 8-331

Research and Expertise

Areas of Expertise
Glacier mass balance, climate change, cryosphere, geomorphology, quaternary geology, natural hazards, earth system science.
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Pearce, Dr. Tristan

PhD University of Guelph; MA University of Guelph; BA University of Northern British Columbia

Associate Professor, Geography
Canada Research Chair in Cumulative Impacts of Environmental Change
Program Coordinator, Northern Studies
Phone
250-960-5766
Office
8-138

Research and Expertise

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Petticrew, Dr. Ellen

PhD (McGill University, Biology, 1989), MSc (University of British Columbia, Physical Geography), BSc (Queen's University in Kingston, Physical Geography)

Professor, Geography
Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology
Phone
250-960-6645
Office
Teaching Lab 8-137
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Shea, Dr. Joseph

PhD (University of British Columbia - 2010), MSc (University of Calgary - 2004), BSc (McMaster University - 2001)

Associate Professor, Geography (on sabbatical)
Phone
250-960-6256
Office
Teaching Lab 8-212

Research and Expertise

Areas of Expertise
Snow, glaciers, rivers, climate change, hydrology, mountains, drones, unmanned air vehicles (UAV), remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS), remote sensing, satellites.
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Wheate, Dr. Roger

PhD, BSc Honours (University of St. Andrews), MA (Queen's University at Kingston)

Professor
GIS Coordinator
Phone
250-960-5865
Office
Teaching Lab 8-307

Research and Expertise

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Adjunct Faculty

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Floyd, Dr. Bill

BSc University of Northern British Columbia; MSc. Oregon State University; PhD University of BC

Adjunct Professor, Geography

Biography

Research Hydrologist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Leader of Coastal Hydrology & Climate Change Research Lab, and adjunct professor in Geography at Vancouver Island University.

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Jjumba, Dr. Anthony

PhD, MSc - Geography (SFU), BSc, Surveying (Makerere University)

Adjunct Professor
Cell
604-809-3456
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Markey, Dr. Sean

BA, Political Science (UBC); MES, Environmental Studies (York University); PhD, Economic Geography (Simon Fraser University); MCIP (Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners) and RPP (Registered Professional Planner)

Adjunct Professor, Geography
Phone
778-782-4702

Biography

Professor and Graduate Program Chair in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at Simon Fraser University.

Miller, Brendan

MSc (University of Alberta), PGeo

Adjunct Professor, Geography

Biography

Brendan Miller is a Research Soil Scientist with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests in Prince George.

Morris, Marleen

MSc (HEC and Oxford University), BA (University of British Columbia)

Adjunct Professor, Geography
Co-Director, Community Development Institute (CDI) at UNBC
Phone
250-960-9806
Office
10-1090
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Reiners, Dr. Peter

PhD, MS (University of Washington)

Adjunct Professor
Phone
520-235-0792

Biography

Pete is a geoscientist with interests across Earth, environmental, and planetary science. His work includes geochemical, isotopic, and geochronologic approaches to understanding subsurface fluid-rock systems, thermochronology, tectonics, geomorphology, and petrology.

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Rex, Dr. John

BSc (Hons.) Memorial University of Newfoundland, MSc & PhD Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, UNBC

Adjunct Professor, Geography

Biography

Team Lead, Research and Stewardship, Omineca Region at BC Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operation

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Russell, Grahame

BA, Development and Latin American Studies (University of Guelph, 1983); LLB (University of Ottawa - Faculty of Law, 1988)

Adjunct Professor, Geography

Biography

Mr. Russell has over 25 years of experience working on development, human rights, environmental justice and disaster relief issues in Latin America - mainly Central America and southern Mexico. Mr. Russell lived for over 10 years in various countries in Central America and in southern Mexico.

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Research Scientists

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Portes, Dr. Raquel

Postdoc (University of Zurich, Switzerland); PhD, MS, BS (Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil)

Senior Research Scientist
Phone
250-960-6013
Office
8-144

Biography

I am a physical geographer and soil scientist, with research projects focusing on the quantification of soil-landscape relationships in natural and anthropogenic environments, examining how they respond to climate and land-use changes.

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Senior Lab Instructors

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Bai, Ping

Senior Lab Instructor (Geographic Information Systems)
Phone
250-960-5405
Office
TAL-2526

Jackson, Chris

BSc (University of British Columbia), BEd (University of Western Ontario, 1995)

Senior Lab Instructor
Phone
250-960-6438
Office
Teaching Lab 8-241

Biography

Chris is responsible for instruction in second year Earth Science labs in the Geography, Forestry and Environmental Science programs at UNBC: GEOG 210 (Introduction to Earth Science), FSTY 205 (Forest Soils), and ENVS 201 (Atmospheric Science).

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Instructors

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Ahadi, Dr. Nassiba

PhD (UBC), MA (University of Tehran), BEngg (Sharif University of Technology)

Instructor

Biography

I am a social geographer. I studied the suburbanization of immigration. I am interested in studying urban and social geography with an emphasis on migration processes and their impacts on the urban and ethnic communities and neighbourhood structures of Canadian cities. I worked with Dr.

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Holterman, Dr. Devin

PhD, MES (York University)

Instructor
Phone
403-800-4359 ext. 149

Biography

Dr. Devin Holterman leads a collaborative research project with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) and the University of Northern British Columbia that looks to develop an evidence-based social science research program for Y2Y.

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Murphy, Laura

MNRES University of Northern British Columbia

Instructor
Phone
250-960-5320
Office
4-433

Biography

Laura is the Research Manager for Rural and Small Town Studies at UNBC.

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Pedersen, Dr. Alexandra

PhD (Queen's University), MA (UNBC), BA Honours (University of Guelph)

Part-time Instructor

Biography

Hello! It's nice to meet you! My name is Alex, and I am a human geographer by training and passion with a background in international development studies. I am a proud alumni of UNBC (MA, International Studies, 2011) and completed my doctorate at Queen's University (Geography, 2018).

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Professors Emeriti

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Fondahl, Dr. Gail

PhD, MA (University of California - Berkeley), BA (Dartmouth College)

Adjunct Professor
Professor Emerita

Research and Expertise

Areas of Expertise
Indigenous rights in Russia; Arctic human development; Arctic social indicators
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Postdoctoral Researchers

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Bisset, Dr. Rosie

PhD, BSc (University of Edinburgh)

Postdoctoral Researcher with the Hakai Cryosphere Node
Office
Hakai Cryosphere Node

Biography

Rosie Bisset is a Postdoctoral Researcher within the Hakai Cryosphere Node working on quantifying the importance of coastal snow in freshwater flux in British Columbia, with Dr. Bill Floyd and Dr. Brian Menounos.

Former Postdoctoral Fellows

  • Dr. Christopher Donahue (PhD, Engineering (Montana State University) – 2018), 2022-2023 – Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
  • Dr. Jacob Bendle (PhD, Royal Holloway, University of London – 2018), 2020-2022 – Supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
  • Dr. Anna Chesnokova (PhD in Civil Engineering, ETS), 2020-2022 – Supervisor: Dr. Joseph Shea
  • Dr. Nadia Mamontova (PhD in Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford – 2020), 2021-2022 – Supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl
  • Dr. Scott Williamson (PhD in Ecology (University of Alberta, 2015), 2020-2022
  • Dr. Marieka Sax (PhD, 2014 – Carleton University), September 2019 – September 2021 – supervisor: Dr. Catherine Nolin
  • Dr. Vanessa Sloan Morgan (PhD, 2017 – Queen’s University), September 2017 – July 2021 – co-supervisors: Drs. Sarah de Leeuw and Margot Parkes
  • Dr. Dawn Hoogeveen (PhD, 2016 – University of British Columbia), September 2018 - April 2021 – supervisor: Dr. Margot Parkes
  • Dr. May Farrales (PhD, 2017 – University of British Columbia), January 2018 - July 2020 - supervisor: Dr. Sarah de Leeuw
  • Dr. Michael Lait (PhD, 2017 - Carleton University), September 2017 - December 2018 - supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
  • Dr. Levan Tielidze (PhD), October 2015-February 2016; March - September 2017 - supervisor: Dr. Roger Wheate
  • Dr. Chris Buse (PhD, 2015 - University of Toronto), 2016-2017 - co-supervisors: Drs. Greg Halseth and Margot Parkes
  • Dr. Chris Darvill (PhD, 2014 - Durham University), 2016-2017 - supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
  • Dr. Alex Martin (PhD, 2012 - University of Northern British Columbia, Canada), 2012-2013 - supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
  • Dr. Joe Shea (PhD, 2010 - University of British Columbia, Canada), 2010-2012 - supervisor: Dr. Brian Menounos
  • Dr. Neil Williams (PhD, 2005 - University of Exeter, UK), 2007-2008 - supervisor: Dr. Ellen Petticrew
  • Dr. Tobias Bolch (PhD, 2006 - University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany), 2007-2008 - co-supervisors: Drs. Brian Menounos and Roger Wheate
  • Dr. Deborah Thien (PhD, 2005 - University of Edinburgh, Scotland), 2006 - supervisor: Dr. Greg Halseth
  • Dr. Catherine Nolin (PhD, 2000 - Queen's University, Canada), 2001-2002 - supervisor: Dr. Gail Fondahl

Faculty News Archive