About

Dr. Chad Walker (he/him) is an AMTD Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo.  Here he is studying planning processes and the potential democratization of new energy systems. In particular, he is interested in how Smart Local Energy Systems (i.e. Smart Grids) may 'build back better' in a post-COVID-19 world. A press release introducing his work can be seen here.

More broadly, Chad is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist with interests around justice, equity, and public support for low-carbon transitions. Recent research includes studying the impact of environmental justice in shaping support for wind energy, critically investigating the meaning of community energy, and using diverse methodologies to better understand reconciliation, autonomy, and pathways for improved health via Indigenous-led renewable energy development. 

Chad has a PhD from Western University (2017) and worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Queen’s University (2017-2019), the University of Exeter (2019-2021), and the University of Saskatchewan (2021). At Queen's he worked with Dr. Heather Castleden on the CIHR-funded Achieving Strength, Health and Autonomy, through Renewable Energy Development for the Future (A SHARED Future) program.  In Saskatchewan, he was part of the SSHRC-funded Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security (CASES) initiative. During his time in the United Kingdom, he studied user engagement and public participation through the development of Smart Local Energy Systems. 

Through all of his work, he has used a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches, spurring a keen interest in the ways we think about and practice mixed methods.