About
Who We Are
The Environmental Policy Institute (EPI) at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland is an inclusive community dedicated to excellence in research, teaching and learning, and public engagement on environmental policy issues in Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada, and internationally.
What We Do
In pursuit of its mission, the EPI engages in the following activities:
Research
EPI uses theories, approaches, and methods from social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences to advance excellence in research and analysis on environmental policy issues. The EPI conducts research on environmental policy issues in topics such as water, forests, land, fisheries, minerals, oil and gas, energy, climate change, and biodiversity. It also conducts research on environmental policy issues at and across multiple levels, including individuals, households, communities, regions, provinces, nation-states, and international. EPI communicates and mobilizes research and knowledge to both academic and non-academic audiences.
Teaching
EPI is engaged in both undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning activities. The EPI established the new Masters of Arts in Environmental Policy (MAEP) program, the first graduate program at Grenfell Campus, which started in Fall 2012. The MAEP program educates students to develop research and professional skills in order to become highly qualified personnel in the field of environmental policy. EPI facilitates professional capacity for environmental policy research, development, evaluation, and engagement through the MAEP program and through knowledge mobilization and public engagement activities.
Public Engagement
EPI builds awareness of, and stimulates dialogue and debate on, environmental policy issues within the broader public through initiatives including workshops, panel discussions, the Reel Green Film Series, and other sponsored events. It collaborates with academia, policy makers and governments, industry and businesses, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous peoples, rural and urban communities, and citizens to address environmental issues and problems.
Our Mandate
EPI is a cornerstone of Memorial University-Grenfell Campus’ strategic research theme of Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources, which examines the interaction of people, industry, and communities with the natural world – locally, nationally and globally.
EPI Faculty & Staff
Core Faculty
Core Faculty are faculty members with appointments to the Environmental Policy Institute.
Foley, Paul Dr.
Associate Professor and Graduate Officer
709.639.2771 l FC 2018
Klinke, Andreas Dr.
Professor and Director
709.639.4307 l FC 2016
Richards, Garrett Dr.
Assistant Professor and Internship Officer
709.639.6534 l FC 2024
Vodden, Kelly Dr.
Professor (Research)
(Not currently accepting new students)
709.639.2703 l FC 4021
Affiliated Faculty
Affiliated Faculty are faculty members who are not appointed to EPI but who maintain an ongoing relationship with EPI through directly supporting EPI research initiatives, teaching in the Master of Arts in Environmental Policy (MEAP) Program, serving on MAEP student supervisory committees, or other relevant activities. Some may be available to serve as co-supervisors.
Ouellet-Dallaire, Camille Dr.
Assistant Professor, Environment & Sustainability and Environmental Science
709.637.6214 l FC 2026
Decker, Stephen Dr.
Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies and Geography, Internship MAEP Program
709.639.6578 l FC 2022
Sabau, Gabriela Dr.
Honorary Research Professor
709.639.2552 l AS207-B
Webb Jekanowski, Rachel Dr.
Assistant Professor, English, School of Arts and Social Science
709.637.6560 l AS 332F
Adjunct Faculty
Bonnell, Steve Dr.
Dagevos, John
Hall, Heather Dr.
519.888.4567 ext. 37819
Hanrahan, Maura Dr.
van Zyll de Jong, Michael Dr.
506.648.5630
Perez, Mery Dr.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Office of Public Engagement, Grenfell Campus
Hudson, Amy Dr.
Governance and Strategic Planning Lead with NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC)
Co-lead negotiator for NCC on the Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination (RIRSD) table
Kelly, Rachel Dr.
+61474497366
Postdoctoral Fellows
Doyle, Emily Dr.
Staff
Coleman, Brian
Administrative Staff Specialist
709.639.2591 l FC 2017A
Collaborative EPI Projects
PhiLab Atlantic Hub
The PhiLab network, or the Canadian network of partnership-oriented research on philanthropy, began as a place of research, information exchange and the mobilization of Canadian foundations’ knowledge. As a subset of this national project, PhiLab Atlantic Hub was created as one of four partners tasked to continue this conversation at a regional level with interested community and academic partners. We wonder how location influences the willingness of donors to support philanthropic organizations and we will examine how interdisciplinary partnerships are formed between universities, governments, industries, the public and other NGOs in the objective of maximizing the impact of philanthropy on the sustainability of communities.
Click here for the link for the PhiLab Atlantic Hub page from UQAM
Engagement & Outreach
Why Engage?
Public engagement across all campuses is a critical component of Memorial University’s mission as a public university. Memorial is fulfilling its special obligation to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador through its university-wide Public Engagement Framework, a document that provides vision, values and goals, along with tangible objectives for Memorial students, faculty and staff who actively engage the public through their work and research.
The Environmental Policy Institute (EPI) plays an important role in fostering public engagement at Grenfell Campus by researching and facilitating debate on critical environmental policy issues within and beyond Newfoundland and Labrador. Through its external partnerships and collaborations, community-based research initiatives, and public-oriented events, EPI seeks to engage citizens of the region, the province, the country, and the world. Below you’ll find more information about what EPI has been up to, as well as how you can get involved.
EPI Public Engagement Initiatives
The Flirt talk series is co-chaired by EPI's Assistant Professor, Garrett Richards. These sessions are informal, highly interactive presentations about interesting research work or opportunities at Grenfell Campus. Each Flirt session is generally 30 minutes of presentation, followed by 30 minutes of discussion and refreshments.
To kick off its 2019 Winter season on January 11, Dr. Jose Lam gave a fascinating talk about the research he did while on sabbatical India (The influences on Indian entrepreneurs). For more information about upcoming Flirt talks or if you have a great idea for a Flirt talk, contact Garrett Richards grichards@mun.ca.
The Green Drinks Speaker Series is a 4 part series hosted and organized by Grenfell Campus and the Western Environment Centre and held at the Bootleg Brew Company.
Each series is meant to be a short presentation set in a casual atmosphere to inspire questions and discussion.
Series 1 on November 14, 2018 - “Can Aquaculture be a Sustainable Prt of the NL Fishereries?” Two speakers Dr. Robert Scott of Grenfell Campus and Don Ivany of the Atlantic Salmon Federation. All are welcome.
Series 2 on January 16, 2019 - “How Can NL Achieve a Sustainable Food System?” Presentations from Dr. Ivan Emke, Grenfell Campus and Kim Thistle, Greenhouse & Garden Store
Series 3 on February 27, 2019 - “How Can NL Become a Low Carbon Economy?” Presentations from Dr. Garrett Richards, Environmental Policy Institute, Grenfell Campus and Conor Curtis, Climate Watch NL.
Series 4 on April 3, 2019 - ” What Role Does Sustainability Play in Rural Resilience?” Presentations from Joanie Cranston, Bonne Bay Cottage Heritage Hospital Corporation and Dr. Kelly Vodden, Environmental Policy Institute, Grenfell Campus
June 3-4, 2019 Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC)
Each year ESAC hosts its Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting. The conference is open to ESAC members and offers an opportunity for participants to share (both in a formal and informal setting) research, ideas and discussions in the field of environmental studies.
ESAC's Annual Conference provides an opportunity for Canada's leading and emerging environmental scholars to gather, network and share their research with one another. It differs from more 'traditional' academic conferences in its more interdisciplinary focus, its small, friendly and collegial setting. There are opportunities for standard research presentations, as well as openings for pre-organized panel sessions and special roundtable discussions.
EPI's Assistant Professor Dr. Garrett Richards facilitated a conference held at the Environmental Policy Institute and linked virtually with the ESAC in Vancouver. MAEP students who attended and presented at the conference were Claudia Friedetzky, Choyon Saha, Mayra Sanchez Alvarez and Brady Reid.
April 9, 2019 Building Climate Resilience: A Conference on Incorporating Climate Change Into Public Infrastructure Planning and Design
Dr. Wade Bowers and MAEP students Victoria Gallagher and Mohammad Nazrul Islam attended this conference held in St. John’s, NL. The purpose of the conference was to enhance understanding of the opportunities and requirements for integrating climate resilience into public infrastructure planning and design. In addition to encourage and facilitate networking opportunities for those involved in infrastructure planning, design and decision-making across sectors and to promote best and promising practices in Newfoundland and Labrador.
March 20-22, 2019 Violated Earth - Violent Earth
The Technical University of Munich and the Bavarian Government invited Dr. Andreas Klinke, Director of EPI, to an interdisciplinary workshop entitled “Violated Earth - Violent Earth” held in Munich/Raitenhaslach in Germany. The participants discussed the future of the earth system in terms of climate change, loss of biodiversity and other global environmental issues. The workshop results will be published as an edited volume and as an executive summary that will be handled over to the Bavarian Government, the German Parliament and members of the European Union.
February 28, 2019 CleanTechWest
This workshop hosted by NEIA was held in Corner Brook, NL. It explored clean technology and green economy business opportunities specific to the Western region. The workshop brought together environmental entrepreneurs, professionals, researchers, decision-makers, regulators, support agencies, and other stakeholders to network and learn about what's new and what's possible in the region. MAEP Students Claudia Friedetzky, Natasha Pennell and Dongjun Lee attended this conference along with Assistant Professor Dr. Garrett Richards who also delivered a presentation entitled ” Emerging Energy Research at Grenfell's Environmental Policy Institute (EPI). The thesis of the presentation was to invite others to colloborate with industry on his emerging project “Identifying Stakeholder Research Needs for Energy Planning and Development in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
November 28, 2018 WWF: Coastal Restoration Planning Project in Newfoundland and Labrador
EPI hosted a public talk on “Coastal Restoration Planning in Newfoundland and Labrador” by Randal Green. Mr. Green discussed the multi-year initiative of World Wildlife Fund Canada (Coastal Restoration fund) focusing on coastal habitats for Capelin, Arctic Char, Atlantic Salmon and coordinating effective coastal restoration and enhancement work at a series of sites in Newfoundland and Labrador.
May 2018 Coastal Communities in a Changing Climate May
Four EPI MAEP graduate students, Dongjun Lee, Vincent Chireh, Abdulai Abdul-Rahim and Mohammad Nazrul Islam attended and participated in this regional climate change symposium held in Corner Brook and Rocky Harbour. This conference was hosted jointly by Grenfell Campus and the Gros Morne Cooperating Association. The symposium sought to outline and discuss the impacts, challenges, and solutions around climate change in relation to the target region of Gros Morne, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Partners & Collaborators
Here is a sample list of past and present partners and collaborators
- Anaconda Mining
- Association for New Canadians
- Bedfordshire Wildlife Trust, UK
- Canadian Forest Service NL
- Canadian Forest Service ONT
- Compusult, Mount Pearl, NL
- Conservation Corps NL
- Dept. of Fisheries & Land Resources
- Dept. of Municipal Affairs & Envrnmt
- Dept. of Natural Resources
- Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)
- Dept of Fisheries and Oceans NL
- Environment Canada ONT
- FFAW NL
- Indian Bay Ecosystem Corporation
- IRD Duhallow, Ireland
- Kairos Canada
- Kruger Limited NL
- Kruger/CBPP/DU
- Kruger/CBPP/MNL/DU
- Metis Nation LAB
- Ministry Environment, Germany
- NAPIMS, Nigeria
- Natural Resources ALA
- Natural Resources NS
- Natural Resources ONT
- Parks Canada NL
- Parliamentary Centre
- Pennecon NL
- PROCOM Data Services Inc
- Shahjerlal University, Bangladesh
- State Bank of India, Bangladesh
- Torngat Secretariat
- Town of Deer Lake
- Universidad de Queretaro, Mexico
- University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
- Western Environment Center
Faculty Research Expertise
- Aboriginal Consultation and Involvement in Resource Developments
- Aquatic invasive species
- Arctic exploration: the heroic masculine, the meaning of the Arctic in the western imagination
- Captain Robert Abram Bartlett
- Climate change
- Coastal zone incident management policy
- Collaborative, multi-level governance
- Community adaptation
- Community involvement in resource management
- Complex adaptive social-ecological systems, innovation, green economies and community-corporate relations
- Crises in drinking water access
- Development and environmental change (e.g. fisheries)
- Ecosystem Based Approaches to Natural Resource Management
- Empirical Areas: climate change, renewable energy
- Environmental Assessment / Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Environmental politics and policy; market-oriented environmental policy and governance (e.g. eco-certification and eco-labeling)
- Film-making and the environmental documentary as a knowledge-sharing tool.
- Fisheries Management and Ecology
- Foodways and nutrition history: Newfoundland food consumption patterns
- Geographical Information Systems
- Global environmental governance.
- Governance research
- Historical nutrition interventions in NL
- Indigenous land-use patterns and related: Newfoundland Mi’kmaq
- Indigenous people, food consumption, and the epidemiologic transition
- Inshore and offshore commercial fisheries
- Integrated Resource and Environmental Management (IREM)
- Integrative Research at the Science Policy Interface
- International and comparative political economy
- International environmental politics
- International relations and global governance
- Inuit, the Labrador Husky and its role
- Land conservation and marine protected areas
- Methodological Areas: interviews, focus groups, document reviews, policy evaluations, surveys, systematic reviews
- Other First Nations in Canada
- Political ecology
- Practical usage and implements drawn on social science dataset analyses
- Public policy analysis
- Regulatory Planning and Environmental Permitting
- Relevance of the FAO Voluntary guidelines for sustainable development of small-scale fisheries.
- Remote Sensing technologies
- Rural resilience
- Salmon conservation
- Sustainable rural community and regional development
- The Anthropocene and climate change: Ecological economics and the objective value of life
- The meaning of the Arctic in the western imagination
- The Promise of Agroecology: Small-Scale Organic Agriculture for Newfoundland and Labrador
- The Shackletons
- Theoretical and Conceptual Areas: knowledge mobilization, science-policy interfaces, deliberative democracy, evidence-based policy, interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity
- Water insecurity and Indigenous communities in Canada
- Water security: its multiple dimensions, including health impacts; crises in drinking water access; water insecurity and Indigenous communities in Canada
- Women and Indigenous people and Arctic exploration
Reports
EPILab Reports
The following documents are the regular project reports of the Environmental Policy Innovation Lab, completed in partnership with community collaborators.
- EPILab Report #001 – How to Engage with Environmental Policy: A Guide for Citizens (Feb 8, 2021)
- EPILab Report #002 – Review of Sustainability Certifications for Businesses in the Tourism Industry (Apr 13, 2022)
- EPILab Report #003 – Invasive Plants in Corner Brook: Overview of Impacts, Control, and Management (Sept 15, 2022)