Sinead Earley

Sinead Earley is an Assistant Professor in the School of Planning and Sustainability at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), Faculty of Environment. She is affiliated with the NRES Graduate Program and Northern Studies, contributing to interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability scholarship. Her work bridges social and physical sciences with a critical lens on policy and governance.

Education:

• PhD, Queen's University
• MA, National University of Ireland - Galway
• BA, University of British Columbia

Her research integrates critical resource geography, environmental justice, political ecology, and postcolonial studies. She focuses on socially just economies, progressive environmental policies, and low-carbon societal transitions, particularly within Canadian and northern contexts. A central theme in her scholarship is the role of (neo)colonial systems in shaping environmental governance and the importance of decolonization and settler-ally responsibility.

Sinead emphasizes publicly engaged and experiential learning in her teaching, encouraging students to connect academic work with real-world applications and community service. Her approach starts with a personal acknowledgment of being a settler-ally from Secwépemc territory, grounding her work in ethical and place-based responsibility.

She supervises graduate students in the MA NRES: Environmental Studies and MNRES programs and is available as a media expert on topics related to environment, sustainability, and policy.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

Sinead Earley contributes to critical scholarship on sustainability and environmental policy. While specific publications are not listed, her research trajectory centers on climate change, procedural policy tools, and justice-oriented transitions, indicating a strong focus on policy innovation and equity in environmental governance.

Advising and Grants:

She is currently accepting graduate students into the NRES and Northern Studies programs, indicating active supervision and likely involvement in research grants and collaborative projects. Though specific grants are not mentioned, her interdisciplinary and community-engaged approach suggests participation in funded research related to sustainability and northern development.

Labs and Research Teams:

No specific lab or research team name is mentioned, but her affiliations with the NRES Graduate Program and Northern Studies indicate active collaboration within interdisciplinary research networks at UNBC focused on environmental studies and northern sustainability challenges.