David Connell

Dr. David Connell is an Associate Professor in the Ecosystem Science and Management program within the Faculty of Environment at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). He is affiliated with the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) Graduate Program and is actively involved in research, teaching, and graduate supervision. His office is located in the Teaching and Learning Building on the Prince George campus, and he is available for collaboration and media inquiries.

His educational background, while not explicitly detailed in the text, is inferred to include advanced degrees in environmental planning or a related field, given his academic position and research output. His research expertise centers on agricultural land use planning and farmland protection, with additional interests in local food systems, community development, Luhmann social theory, and the conservation of British Columbia’s inland temperate rainforest, particularly the Ancient Cedars of the Fraser River Valley.

Dr. Connell’s research program is highly applied and policy-relevant, focusing on evaluating legislative frameworks for farmland protection across Canadian jurisdictions, assessing the socio-economic benefits of farmers markets, and exploring non-timber uses of forest ecosystems. His work integrates social science perspectives with environmental planning to address complex sustainability challenges. His recent publications reveal a consistent trend toward policy analysis, interdisciplinary research, and community-based solutions in environmental management.

• UNBC Award of Excellence in Research (2017)
• UNBC Award of Excellence in Teaching (2014)

Dr. Connell is a dedicated mentor, supervising numerous MA and PhD students in the NRES program on topics ranging from farmland protection to food sovereignty and ecotourism. His research is supported by competitive grants from SSHRC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and other funding agencies. He leads a research program on agricultural land use planning and has developed practical resources such as strategic planning guides for farmers markets and assessment toolkits for farmland protection. His work contributes significantly to both academic discourse and practical policy development in sustainable land use and community resilience.