Michael D. Mehta
Michael D. Mehta is an environmental social scientist who specializes in science, technology and society with a focus on environmental and health risk issues. A feature in the October 2011 edition of the Canadian Sociological Association provides an overview of his current research interests which includes marine ecosystem conservation and rehabilitation, tidal energy, local environmental movements, and underwater videography.
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[edit] Education
He holds a B.A. in psychology, a Master of Environmental Studies, a Ph.D. in Environmental Sociology and he did a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Environmental Policy.
[edit] Career
Mehta is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.
Previously he was Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Winnipeg, and was the founding Principal of Richardson College for the Environment. While Principal, Mehta worked on developing key academic and community programs in the areas of Forest Ecology, Urban Ecology, The Global North, Water Resources and Environment & Health.
Prior to joining the University of Winnipeg, Mehta was the Executive Director of the Population Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta.
Before that he was at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he was Chair of the Sociology of Biotechnology Program, Director of the Social Research Unit, and Professor of Sociology. As Chair of the Sociology of Biotechnology Program at the University of Saskatchewan, Mehta was involved heavily in research on a wide array of topics. He helped build a body of literature dealing with the following areas: genetic testing and new technologies, biotechnology and risk, public perceptions of different applications in biotechnology, and biotechnology and social cohesion. In addition to helping flesh out core areas within the Sociology of Biotechnology, he also worked on expanding this field by exploring the emerging connections between biotechnology and nanotechnology (nanobiotechnology).
Mehta is widely published, authoring or editing five books including Biotechnology Unglued – Science, Society and Social Cohesion; Risky Business: Nuclear Power and Public Protest in Canada and Nanotechnology – Risk, Ethics and Law (co-authored with Geoffrey Hunt.) He has won numerous awards such as Chief Scientist Distinguished Lecturer for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Science, Technology, Advancement of Science, Health Canada (2007), The Saskatchewan Centennial Medal (2006), and Agriculture Genomics Award, Genome Canada (2003).
Mehta is a former Director of Canadian Blood Services, SaskPower, SaskPower International, and NorthPoint Energy Solutions. He was a member of the Mayor's Environmental Advisory Committee (Winnipeg).
Currently he sits on the Board of Directors of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra and the Board of Trustees of Western Canada Theatre.
[edit] Published works
- Nanotechnology: Risk, Ethics and Law
- Biotechnology Unglued: Science, Society and Social Cohesion
- Risky Business: Nuclear Power and Public Protest in Canada
- Regulatory Efficiency and the Role of Risk Assessment
- Environmental Sociology: Theory and Practice
