Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dr. Trevor W. Harrison; Associate Director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economics

Topic:

Professor Harrison will give us some perspective on the Occupy Movement, and his thoughts on the ability of the movement to keep or gain momentum, and how this might best happen.  

SpeakerBio:

Trevor W. Harrison is a Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economics at the University of Lethbridge. Recently, he also took on the role as co-director of Parkland Institute, a province-wide think tank that he co-founded in 1996 that is dedicated to studies of public policy. A frequent presenter at SACPA talks, he is best known for his studies in political sociology and political economy. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of eight books, numerous journal articles and book chapters, and a regular contributor to radio, television, and the print media.

Background:

In 2006, the late Dr. John Prentice (LLD '06) and his family endowed the University with more than $8 million to establish the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. The time since has seen the building of a solid foundation for the world-class institute's future.

Sociology Department Chair Dr. Trevor Harrison has been appointed as the institute's interim director, effective Nov. 1, 2007, to Oct. 31, 2009. He will be responsible for launching the multidisciplinary institute, which will focus on the long-term challenges of the demographic, economic and social issues related to changes in world population patterns.

"Trevor is a respected academic with a proven track record of leadership as department Chair and in his other research capacities. In this new role, he will help to establish the institute's initial research scope and its future directions," says Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Andrew Hakin.

As a researcher with such diverse interests as Canadian society, political sociology and public policy, Harrison is excited by the interdisciplinary research that the institute will stimulate and foster. He will soon be meeting with various U of L faculty in the social sciences and experts at other institutions to begin building research partnerships.

"While we will not forget our grounding here in Western Canada, we want to develop the necessary connections to become an international institute. The world is shrinking, and many of the issues that we face here are shared by other parts of the world. There is a great deal that we can learn from other places without having to replicate their research," says Harrison.

Hakin expects the addition of an institute of this calibre to both grow and enhance social science research within the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University.

http://www.uleth.ca/prenticeinstitute/news/building-world-class-institute-prentice-institute-global-population-and-economy?destination=node%2F202

Event Presentation: OLBBC(Occupy).pdf