Catherine Nolin, PhD
Professor of Geography
Chair, Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
BA (University of Calgary), MA, PhD (Queen's University at Kingston, 2000)
T: 250-960-5875
E: catherine.nolin@unbc.ca
W: https://www2.unbc.ca/catherine-nolin
W: https://unbc.academia.edu/CatherineNolin
O: New Lab 8-148
Twitter: @cnolin and @unbc_gees
Instagram: unbcgeography_ensc
Facebook: UNBCGeographyENSC & UNBCGuateFieldSchool
I am a social geographer with two broad areas of research interest that connect in many ways & often overlap: Guatemala/Violence/Development/Justice and Migration/Transnationalism/Refugee Studies
I am a Professor of Geography and Chair of the Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UNBC (newly re-named in April 2021). Between July 2018 and July 2022, I was honoured to serve as the Vice Chair and then Chair of the Conference of Latin American Geography (CLAG) organization. CLAG is the premier organization for geographers engaging in research in Latin America and the Caribbean and works to foster research, education, and service related to Latin American geographical studies. I consider myself a long-time insurgent researcher and social justice advocate, including more than 25 years grappling with the afterlives of the Guatemalan genocides.
I have been fortunate to work with Grahame Russell of Rights Action for almost 20 years to organize and facilitate field schools to Guatemala for undergraduate and graduate students. We recently co-wrote & co-edited the book "Testimonio: Canadian Mining in the Aftermath of Genocides in Guatemala" (2021).
My book, Transnational Ruptures: Gender and Forced Migration (2006), on issues of Guatemalan political violence and forced migration to Canada, was published by Ashgate and now distributed by Routledge.
Recent Field Schools to Guatemala:
GUATEMALA 2023: Grahame Russell of Rights Action & I co-instructed our 9th field school to Guatemala in May 2023. PHOTOS & UPDATES from the road and COURSE DETAILS are available here.
January 2020: Nolin & Rights Action Delegation for Conference of Latin American Geography (CLAG)
UNBC News Story: Field Trip Introduces Participants to Life after Genocide in Guatemala
MAY 2017: Grahame Russell (Adjunct Professor of Geography and Director of Rights Action) and I led a field research delegation to Guatemala (May 13-22, 2017) to re-examine and update documentation on four major mining struggles throughout the country, all related to Canadian (and partially American) owned mining operations. We are co-editing the forthcoming book "Mining in a Time of Impunity in the Aftermath of Genocide in Guatemala."
- Grahame Russell and I facilitated an emergency delegation to Guatemala (May 13-24, 2016) to re-examine and update documentation on four major mining struggles throughout the country, all related to Canadian (and partially American) owned mining operations.Follow the emergency delegation updates on the Emergency Delegation page
- Updates also available on Facebook and Twitter
Teaching Awards: I have received the following awards: 2013 Award for Teaching Excellence in Geography from the Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG); the 2009 J. Alistair McVey Award for Teaching Excellence from the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG); and the 2007 UNBC Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient.
Graduate Studies: I am a member of Graduate Program in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (MA NRES - Geography stream & PhD program)
