Canada Research Chairs in Geography and ES

January 14, 2022

Christina Hoicka (Geography & Engineering) and Loren McClenachan (History and Environmental Studies) were announced the CRCs for the 2020-2 cycle, which includes 188 new and renewed chairs and approximately $151 million in funding at 43 research institutions.

Hoicka’s interdisciplinary CRC research program focuses on just and renewable energy transitions for societal transformation in BC and Canada, and around the world. She combines the fields of energy geography and socio-technical sustainability transitions to examine how urban and rural communities experience renewable energy transitions differently, and to aid understanding of how such transitions can lead to new economic relationships and improved socioeconomic impacts for communities.

McClenachan’s research integrates environmental history, historical ecology and social science to inform marine conservation. At UVic, McClenachan will train interdisciplinary scholars equipped to tackle the large-scale and unprecedented threats to oceans. She will also use applied historical research to address marine fisheries sustainability and climate adaptation while including Indigenous perspectives. Her collaborative and interdisciplinary approach aims to support the goals of increased ocean sustainability, fisheries productivity and social equity in resource management.