Welcome!

I love exploring new ideas and learning how to integrate these ideas to build sustainable communities for the future. My university education included courses from 13 departments across campus. At Mount Allison University I completed a B.Sc. in Biology and a B.A. in Geography with a one year break to participate in the Canada-World Youth Exchange Program. I then traveled through Asia on my way to the Australian National University where I completed an M.A. in Geography and worked at the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies. Then I went to Europe to complete a PhD at the London School of Economics. Research enabled me to learn about energy, environment and development issues in Asia , Australia and Europe , so after 11 years overseas, I returned to Canada to join the faculty at the University of Waterloo .

I love teaching and sharing ideas with students. We work together in class and on research projects to find ways to achieve long term benefits for both the environment and economy. Examples of research projects, publications and student topics are found by following the links to my three areas of research: Energy & Sustainability, Local Economic Development, Japan & Asia.

I welcome students seeking to test sustainability principles through research and action that can achieve social goals by actively directing investment decisions and changing personal choices. In this way, economic development strategies at the local or national level can be directed toward a sustainable future by building capacity and making far-sighted steps in a rapidly changing economy.

Department of Geography and Environmental Management

University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo , Ontario , CANADA
N2L 3G1
phone: 519-888-4567 ext. 32791
fax: 519-746-0658
email: pparker @ uwaterloo.ca