Prince George, B.C. – University of Northern British Columbia Geography Professor Dr. Greg Halseth has been re-appointed as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Rural and Small Town Studies.

Halseth’s research examines rural and small town community development, and community strategies for coping with social, demographic, and economic change, all with a focus upon Northern B.C.’s resource-based towns.

“The renewal of this Tier 1 Canada Research Chair is testament to the outstanding research culture we have at UNBC,” says UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks. “Dr. Halseth’s research informs us about the past, present and future of rural and small town communities in our province and how solutions developed here to adapt to changing global conditions can be applied to similar communities around the world.”

Tier 1 Chairs are awarded to outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields. They are seven-year appointments and come with $1.4 million in research funding over that time.

Halseth was one of the first UNBC faculty members to be named as Canada Research Chair. He was awarded a Tier 2 chair in 2001 and it was renewed for a second term in 2006. In 2011, he became the first UNBC researcher to be named a Tier 1 Chair.

“The premise of our research is that rural and small town places are exceedingly valuable in the economy,” Halseth says. “These communities have economic, social, and community destinies. They are going to be vibrant into the future.”