University of Prince Edward Island appoints new Director of Environmental Studies
The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to announce that Dr. Darren Bardati, from Bishop's University, will take on the role of Director of Environmental Studies in July 2008.
As Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Geography, Bardati has taught at Bishop's University since 1996. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke where he supervises graduate students in their Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment.
'I'm very excited to move to PEI, and to develop productive relations with faculty, students and staff, as well as various levels of government and community groups on and off the Island, in order to add to the good work that is being accomplished in the area of environmental studies,' says Bardati.
Bardati's research focuses on human interactions in, and relationship to, the natural environment, especially the involvement of 'ordinary people' in environmental planning and management decisions. He has published on such diverse topics as forest land use, boating conflicts on recreational lakes, landowner involvement in utility corridor management, residents' perceptions of walkability on urban streets, environmental impact assessment and environmental auditing. In 2007-08, he was awarded a research grant from the Québec government to study local participation in watershed management.
Bardati earned his PhD in Geography (Natural Resources) at McGill University where he examined the logging conflicts in British Columbia. He currently serves as the vice-president of the Eastern Townships Research Centre and as the Canadian representative on the executive board of the Association of American Geographers, Northeast division, and sits on the international advisory board of the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.
'The University of PEI looks forward to Dr. Bardati's arrival and his contribution to the further development of a vibrant Environmental Studies program,' says Dr. Christian Lacroix, Dean of the Faculty of Science.
UPEI's environmental studies program takes an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary liberal arts and sciences approach to the theory, research and practice of environmental sustainability. This "ecology across the curriculum" method encourages addressing ecological issues, themes and perspectives across the full range of academic subjects; courses are offered in 16 different departments across the faculties of Arts, Science, Education and Business.
For more information on the Environmental Studies program, visit http://www.upei.ca/environment/
