NRD| Big Changes to the Team
The Natural Resource Development theme team has undergone some big changes recently. Terri MacDonald and Sarah Breen are transitioning into their new roles as Team Lead and Team Support respectively.
Team Lead: Terri MacDonald
Terri is succeeding John Devlin as Team Lead. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from the University of British Columbia, and an M.A. in Policy and Administration from the University of Calgary. Having worked for over ten years in economic development across BC, her passion for improving rural areas is evidenced by an impressive track record of rural research and dissemination. Her research interests include regional economic development, the role of community capacity in rural development, and community sustainability indicators, planning and implementation.
Team Support: Sarah-Patricia Breen
Sarah-Patricia Breen will be working with Terri to fulfill the mandate of the Natural Resource Development team. Sarah began studying small-scale, community-owned power generation as part of an international field studies course in south-west China. This project sparked an interest in the role local resources can play in sustainable community development. This formed the basis of Sarah’s MA, which examined the use of community owned small hydro as a tool for sustainable community development. Following the completion of her Masters, Sarah held a position as an Environmental Planner and Project Manager where she focused on the planning and assessment of large scale infrastructure developments (e.g., power transmission) and corporate social responsibility. This experience provoked questions surrounding the planning and revitalization of critical infrastructure and its links to sustainable development, which led Sarah to pursue her PhD. Sarah experience as both an academic and a practitioner will go a long way in helping the team to connect will practitioners working on resource development issues worldwide.
New to the RPLC? If your organization is interested in learning more or becoming a part of the RPLC network to expand its reach and influence, reach out to Sarah at swbreen@sfu.ca. You can also follow our team on Twitter @RPLC_NRD.
