Jennifer J. Silver
I am a Full Professor at the University of Guelph, Canada with expertise in oceans and fisheries governance, political ecology, and rapidly changing dynamics at the interface of digital technology and environmental change. I have 25 years of experience, a diverse portfolio of research projects, and the pleasure of working with numerous collaborators. Browse around for a taste of what I do -- projects I lead, collaboration with supervisees and colleagues, and a selection of invitations, publications and other outputs that reflect types of work and topics that I enjoy.
What I do
Think of this tile board as a visual sampler. In contrast to a traditional CV, it does not list every single paper, presentation, interview, grant and so on. Browse through for some representative publications, work with trainees, funded grants, hosted workshops, and various instances of public-facing engagement.Can't find the document, news story, podcast or project you're looking for? Want to discuss collaboration, graduate school or an interview? Please reach out!
Training & Experience
I hold a BA and MA in Geography. My SSHRC-funded PhD, in interdisciplinary Resource and Environmental Management, was awarded by from Simon Fraser University in 2010. I spent nine months as a SSHRC-funded Postdoctoral Fellow at the Duke University Marine Lab before joining the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Guelph in 2011. I was promoted to Associate Professor in 2017 and to Professor in 2023. I completed a three‑year term as Undergraduate Program Coordinator and a two‑year term as Associate Chair of Department in December 2025. I am co‑editor of the Routledge Handbook on Critical Ocean Studies, released in December 2025.My research is widely cited across the social and natural sciences, and my sole‑ and lead‑authored work appears in top Fisheries and Marine Policy, Conservation, and Human–Environment Geography journals, including Environment & Planning E, Fish & Fisheries, Geoforum, Marine Policy, and Environmental Communication. My record also reflects commitment to and leadership within several groups in the Pacific Northwest working to sustain and expand Indigenous governance and relational connection between people, oceans and marine ecosystems. We publish in high‑impact scientific journals (e.g., The American Naturalist and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B) as well as co‑authored commentaries on timely environmental issues and governance challenges.I regularly share findings through keynote lectures and invited talks, including at Massey University’s Political Ecology Research Centre, the Sydney Environment Institute at the University of Sydney, and the Duke University Marine Laboratory. I am also frequently invited to give policy advice and research briefings outside of the academy. Over the last several years, I have presented to two committees of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, been called twice to Canada’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, and presented to a number of teams internal to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Get in Touch
I am on Google Scholar, BlueSky and LinkedIn, as you'll see below. Want to get in touch over email? Click the 'i' icon to be taken to my profile page and email address in Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Guelph. I am also lucky to be part of a political ecology Research Collective called Nature.Culture.Politics. To learn more about this group, and the cast of faculty and supervisee members that comprise it, click on the star icon.