Alexandra Pedersen

Alexandra Pedersen (she/her) is a human geographer who brings a critical social science lens into the classroom. Alex, as she prefers, earned a PhD in Geography (Queen’s University) and holds a master’s (University of Northern British Columbia) and undergraduate (BAH, University of Guelph) degrees in international studies. Her graduate research focused on Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities’ experiences with, and resistance to, imposed development. As an Adjunct Professor, Alex embraces new learning platforms and revels in opportunities to engage with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students for both their studies and career aspirations. She continues her activist academic work through teaching, outreach, supervision and research as an Adjunct Professor in MEERL and Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering. Her photography related to the struggle of the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ Maya of Guatemala and their resistance to the Fenix nickel mine in El Estor, Guatemala has been featured at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (Winnipeg, MB), The Guardian, and Lo Donna (an Italian women’s magazine). Her published academic and non-academic writings can be found in the Journal of Latin American Geography, Harvard’s ReVista Magazine, TeleSur, and Upside Down World, and more recently in the edited book Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala. Alex is proud to be a member and Co-Chair of MiningWatch Canada’s Board of Directors; an organization celebrating 25 years of experience supporting Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities facing potential or actual industrial mining operations that affect their lives and territories. Outside of teaching and research, Alex is the President of the Limestone Beekeepers’ Guild and can be found in her apiary buzzing with the bees. She can also be found in her day job as the Manager for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) Capacity Development with the McDonald Institute.

EERL 805: Operating Effectively & EERL 811: Sector-Focused Project