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Greetings from the Chair

Greetings from the Chair's office!  It is with pleasure that I welcome you to the new alumni newsletter. I am taking up the reins as Department Chair after Tracy Brennand's excellent tenure. It is an honour to do so, even while I rather dread the many meetings I must attend!  I am sure that you will find much that is interesting in the newsletter from your old department. There are many new initiatives, ideas, and faculty members at work, in what will be an exciting future.

It's been a challenging year, in many ways, as we face budget challenges. However, our enrollments remain strong, and the energy and commitment of our faculty and staff is outstanding. We have been delighted to welcome two new Assistant Professor research faculty this past year.

Styawat/Leigh Joseph is an ethnobotanist, researcher and entrepreneur from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) First Nation. Her work focuses on the intersections between ethnobotany (the study of the cultural interrelationships between people, plants, and place) and Indigenous cultural political resurgence.

Mengxin Pan brings expertise in extreme weather events, such as atmospheric rivers. She adds strength to our teaching and research expertise in climate modelling and climate change.

If I had the good fortune to work with you while you were at SFU, it is great to reconnect. Either way, our alumni are important to us, and we'd love the chance to hear how you're doing, and how we can assist you in your endeavours after SFU Geography

- Nick Blomley

Parting words from our previous Chair

The last 10 years (9 as Chair) have been a (mostly) fun ride, mainly due to the wonderful faculty, staff and students I have had the honour to work alongside.

Together, we have navigated interesting times—budget cuts, increases, and renewed cuts, administrative roll-over, strikes and changes in collective agreements, and the COVID pandemic. Yet, though all this, the Department has evolved as a powerhouse...

Farewell to Peter Keller

Peter Keller is an extraordinary scholar, administrator and colleague. He retired from SFU Geography in the fall of 2024. His was a magnificent career with many contributions and highlights. His academic story started in the Fall of 1976 when he entered Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He was signed up to study Oceanography but got so excited about Geography that he switched disciplines – and has never looked back...

A message from Leigh

Hello, My name is Dr. Leigh Joseph and my ancestral name is styawat and I am a member of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) First Nation. Through my work I contribute to cultural knowledge renewal in connection to Indigenous plant and land-based relationships...

Updates from the Geography Student Union

The Geography Student Union (GSU) has enjoyed another fantastic year of academic events, socials, and trips! The GSU sought to broaden community engagement within the Department of Geography and Faculty of Environment through academic and social events, and prioritized collaboration with other student geographers in the Lower Mainland...

A message from the Geography Graduate Association

Over the past few years, the Geography Graduate Association (GGA) has been reintroducing in-person events and seeking to build community.

Gabrielle Wong (Grad 2025)

After being awarded the 2025 Gordon M. Shrum Medal and 2025 Undergraduate CAG Award, Gabrielle discusses her SFU journey.

Alumni Donations in Action