Michele Patterson

Michele Patterson has been a regular member of the Vancouver Island University Geography Department since Fall 2016; and has been Department Chair since 2019. She has a Master of Arts Degree from Royal Roads University’s Environment and Management program (Victoria, BC). Her Master’s thesis (2006) looked at potential improvements for governance of marine science and research in BC. Michele has been involved in resource management, community economic development and conservation in British Columbia for over 30 years. She has expertise in, among other things: climate adaptation policy, social- cultural values, social license, rural and aboriginal community issues; external and government relations, and natural resource policy development, planning and analysis.  She has also done academic research in the areas of seafood genomics and social-cultural carrying capacity.

Prior to coming to VIU in 2010 she spent 10 years with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada, in both Prince Rupert and then in Vancouver, developing broadly supported, science-based conservation solutions to support sustainable coastal communities in BC. She concluded her time at WWF as Acting VP, WWF-Pacific Region.  She has also worked in the former VIU Sustainability Office (2010-2011), and the former VIU Institute for Coastal Research (2011-2015).