Rachel Hirsch, PhD

Contact

Major Initiatives Officer, Vice-President Research Innovation

Email: rhirsch@ualberta.ca
Address: 3-13 South Academic Building
11328 - 89 Ave NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2J7

Overview

Area of Study / Keywords

Human Geography Social Determinants of Environmental Health Indigenous Environmental Studies Mixed/Participatory Methods

About

Dr. Hirsch offers expertise in research development and capacity building stemming from over 14 years’ experience working collaboratively with academics and community groups at Carleton University, Brock University, Memorial University, Trent University, York University - and now at the University of Alberta. In her current role as Major Initiatives Officer at the University of Alberta, she supports implementation of the Strategic Plan for Research and Innovation (Forward with Purpose) offering strategic planning insight and expertise in research impact, social innovation, knowledge mobilization and community engaged research broadly. In her previous role as Institutional Research Facilitator at Carleton, she supported researchers from all disciplines managing applications to foundations and high value/impact research opportunities (e.g., CFREF, CFI, CRC, NFRFT). As the administrative lead for Carleton's shortlisted 2022 CFREF application, she managed a team of more than 20 internal and external support staff who brought together and supported 100+ researchers from various post-secondary institutions. This initiative resulted in a Service Excellence Award for Carleton's first full application to the CFREF and a successful joint Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)/SSHRC partnership grant (more info here). Dr. Hirsch is also a proud University of Alberta alumni who had the honour of being convocation speaker for the Fall 2002 Faculty of Science Graduating Class and is ecstatic to have returned home to join the Office of the Vice-President (Research and Innovation).

Research

In 2010, Dr. Hirsch completed her SSHRC funded, award-winning doctoral work on the social dimensions of residential pesticide policy change at the University of Western Ontario in Geography. From 2010-2013, she developed a collaborative research program focused on building research and evaluation capacity on the topic of knowledge translation and food security in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Nain, Nunatsiavut (Labrador). During this time, she was lead or co-lead on multiple grant applications for community-administered research and program funds including a SSHRC Standard Research Grant. She has been recognized for her research on the social dimensions of policy change and local knowledge sharing by the Society for Risk Analysis, the Canadian Knowledge Transfer and Exchange Community of Practice, and the Canadian Association of Geographers.

Featured Publications

Going off; Growing strong: A program to enhance individual youth and community resilience in the face of change in Nain, Nunatsiavut

Etudes Inuit Studies. 2016 January; 10.7202/1040145ar

A case-control study of support/opposition to wind turbines: Perceptions of health risk, economic benefits, and community conflict

Energy Policy. 2013 January; 10.1016/j.enpol.2013.06.050

Context, cultural bias, and health risk perception: The "Everyday" nature of pesticide policy preferences in London, Calgary, and Halifax

Risk Analysis. 2011 January; 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01560.x