Dr. Kimberly Coleman is VIU’s 2025 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies. Dr. Coleman is an Associate Professor at the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. Her doctoral research focused on wildfire management and preparedness in the American West and Southeast, where she observed how federal agencies, private landowners, and Indigenous communities can collaborate to manage wildfires that threaten their homes and lands.
During her time at VIU, Dr. Coleman has been researching mountain biking’s social impacts on Indigenous communities, and ways for communities to manage mountain bike trails with respect towards Indigenous lands. She is comparing a case study of the Ucluelet Mountain Bike Association with a case study of Carrabassett Valley in Maine, United States, to determine what creates successful co-management of shared recreational land. Dr. Coleman will be on campus until May 31, 2025.