Devin Hentschel

Resource and Environmental Management master's student in the Faculty of Environment

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I came to my research at REM with a B.Sc. in Biology and a professional background in the environmental science and wildlife conservation field. While I was (and still am) so grateful to have been able to establish a connection with the lands and waters that I am privileged to live and work on as a settler on unceded territory in both Metro Vancouver and my hometown of Victoria, BC, I also found myself wanting to play a bigger role in creating and shaping the policy and planning that goes into stewarding our environment. It was this drive that led me to find the school of Resource and Environmental Management, which is unique for its interdisciplinary approach and focus on practical, applicable research that can not only make academic progress, but can help real communities as well.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

I really appreciated the wide range of environmental science and social science research going on in REM, specifically how closely the two fields actually work together here to support and supplement each other. REM’s focus on community-engaged research was also a huge draw for me, as I am a strong believer in enabling and empowering communities to make decisions for themselves. These two aspects were non-negotiables for making the decision to return to school for a master’s degree, and so for me it was essentially REM or bust!

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

REM is positioned at the intersection of environmental science, social science, and urban planning. These three fields are often seen as separate but are in fact highly interrelated in that the way we think about and act in one field can have substantial impacts on the others. My research specifically focuses on nature-based solutions (NbS), a general concept describing land and water-based approaches that can provide multiple social, environmental, and financial co-benefits, and on how a First Nation in coastal BC can leverage NbS to build flood resilience, improve habitat biodiversity, increase community access to natural and cultural spaces, and support efforts towards sovereignty and self-governance.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Nature-based Solutions, Flood Mitigation, Indigenous-led planning

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

My courses have allowed me to broaden my range of knowledge from that of an environmental scientist and conservation biologist to additionally include fields like law, policy, economics, social justice, and environmental and urban planning. The many experiential learning opportunities I’ve been fortunate to be a part of have also been invaluable to building my understanding of the complex and interconnected nature of socio-environmental issues, not to mention that it has also all been incredibly fun and interesting too!

Have you been the recipient of any major or donor-funded awards? If so, please tell us which ones and a little about how the awards have impacted your studies and/or research

I have been very lucky to receive Graduate Fellowship funding, the Travel and Research Award, the Coastal Zone Canada Association Graduate Scholarship, and the Simons Foundation Graduate Award. These awards have been instrumental in helping me cover my educational, travel, and research expenses, and allowing me to focus on my coursework and my research project.

How do you approach networking and building connections in and outside of your academic community?

I would really recommend getting involved with clubs like REMSU and REPSA and putting yourself out there to meet and spend time with the people in your classes, lab, and program, as I am very lucky to be able to say that many of my classmates in REM have also become my good friends as well.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

While my current research at SFU is in environmental planning, I also happen to be the world’s leading (and still the only) academic expert in the Intertidal jumping spider, Terralonus californicus. This is an entirely self-proclaimed title, and one that my former honour’s thesis supervisor insisted that I claim for myself, but one that I will nevertheless stubbornly cling to while I still can!

Contact Devin:devin_hentschel@sfu.ca

Additional Links

• LinkedIn