Research

I am developing a research program focused on demonstrating the potential of social innovation and entrepreneurship to address the wicked problems facing coastal communities through an asset-based approach. As a co-investigator in several ongoing projects, I am helping guide research funded by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant focused on just and equitable governance in fisheries and coastal communities. Publications stemming from my doctoral work have explored the potential of storytelling to empower rural coastal communities to articulate their own sustainable development visions while examining tensions with indicator-based tools for sustainability assessment. More recent publications have examined social enterprise in coastal communities of Newfoundland and Labrador and explored alternative infrastructures for asset-based community development in these settings.

I am also exploring how to contribute to better understanding of social innovation potentials in New Brunswick through mapping the innovation ecosystem and collaborating with fellow scholars and the Social Enterprise Hub at STU. As this research program unfolds, I look forward to engaging students in these projects to gain foundational research experience and explore future career pathways such as graduate school or employment in social enterprise.