Tim McDaniels

Tim McDaniels is a specialist in decision sciences and policy analysis, particularly in managing environmental and technology-related societal risks. Tim was appointed in and served as the Director of the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. He served as the Associate Director of the School of Community and Regional Planning, as the Interim Principal of the College for Interdisciplinary Studies, and as interim Director of the Bridge program, an interdisciplinary research-training program linking public health, engineering and public policy, funded by the Canadian Institute of Heath Research. Tim truly values the chance to work with the excellent students and fine colleagues in SCARP. He has published over 25 journal articles with students and former students. Tim has published over 70 articles in leading interdisciplinary science journals, along with three books and over 50 technical reports. He also has served on expert panels for the US National Academy of Sciences, NOAA, the US EPA, Health Canada and other organizations. He has participated in advisory roles for several Canadian inquiries and panels regarding risk issues. His was a co-investigator in the Climate Decision making Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, which is supported by the US National Science Foundation. He is now a co-investigator in the new Climate and Energy Decision Making Center at CMU. In 2004, he was a co-author for a NAS panel report on Research Priorities for Improving Environmental Decision-making. In 2008, he appointed to the US National Academy of Science Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change. He served as the Decision Sciences area editor of the journal Risk Analysis for five years, and is a fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis.

His current research focuses on climate change adaptation in linked human/ ecological systems. He also has ongoing research projects concerned with building regional resilience in infrastructure systems. Tim’s research addresses issues of risk management based on societal values and expert understanding. His previous work has addressed issues of values, value elicitation, risk perception, eliciting judgments from experts, and characterizing more effective approaches for managing issues of global change that cross multiple scales of governance and impact. He has worked extensively on citizen involvement in complex policy decisions, and has designed and led successful stakeholder decision processes involving scientists, agency representatives and civil society groups. He has published articles and conducted practical research in forestry, fisheries, renewable energy, aquaculture, water management and infrastructure systems. His work has involved partners ranging from BC Hydro, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada, regional governments and provincial agencies in British Columbia, and many other groups.