Biography
Dr. Patrick T. Maher is a Full Professor of Physical and Health Education at Nipissing University. He is an interdisciplinary scholar, who has previously held full-time appointments at Cape Breton University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the University of Otago.
Pat was the inaugural Dean of Teaching at NU (2019-2024) and has also held Visiting Scholar positions at Trent University, Bishop’s University, the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Southern Denmark University, the University Centre of the Westfjords (Iceland), Vancouver Island University, the University of Edinburgh, and Cambridge University. He has also collaborated extensively with colleagues across the University of the Arctic network, as former Associate Dean of Circumpolar Studies (2013) and the lead for the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism (2012-present).
Pat has been named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (2013), a 3M National Teaching Fellow (2014), and a Fellow of International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2020). He held a Commonwealth Scholarship in New Zealand for his doctoral research in Antarctica and was both a University Teaching Chair in Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship and a University Research Chair in the Social Sciences and Humanities during his tenure in Cape Breton. More recently, Pat was named in the inaugural cohort of Grímsson Fellows (2025), and as a UArctic x LRF Research Fellow (2024-2026).
Pat is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and former editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education (2017-2023), and the Journal of Experiential Education (2010-2016). He also sits on the Editorial Boards of the Leisure Studies, the Journal of Tourism Futures, the Journal of Arctic Tourism and Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education.
Pat was the inaugural Dean of Teaching at NU (2019-2024) and has also held Visiting Scholar positions at Trent University, Bishop’s University, the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Southern Denmark University, the University Centre of the Westfjords (Iceland), Vancouver Island University, the University of Edinburgh, and Cambridge University. He has also collaborated extensively with colleagues across the University of the Arctic network, as former Associate Dean of Circumpolar Studies (2013) and the lead for the Thematic Network on Northern Tourism (2012-present).
Pat has been named a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (2013), a 3M National Teaching Fellow (2014), and a Fellow of International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (2020). He held a Commonwealth Scholarship in New Zealand for his doctoral research in Antarctica and was both a University Teaching Chair in Community-Engaged Teaching and Scholarship and a University Research Chair in the Social Sciences and Humanities during his tenure in Cape Breton. More recently, Pat was named in the inaugural cohort of Grímsson Fellows (2025), and as a UArctic x LRF Research Fellow (2024-2026).
Pat is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning and former editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education (2017-2023), and the Journal of Experiential Education (2010-2016). He also sits on the Editorial Boards of the Leisure Studies, the Journal of Tourism Futures, the Journal of Arctic Tourism and Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education.
Positions
Full Professor
Faculty of Education and Professional Studies
Full Professor
Graduate Studies
Education
PhD, Tourism and Environmental Studies, Lincoln University
2010
Teaching Areas
Undergraduate Programs
- Physical and Health Education
Graduate Studies
- Education, MEd/PHD Program
- Environmental Science/Studies, MESc/MES
- Kinesiology, MSc
- Master of Education
- PhD in Education (Educational Sustainability)
Graduate Supervision
Accepting Students for Supervision
Research
Research Interests
- My research focuses on three overlapping areas:
- the meanings that people take from their experiences visiting remote/peripheral/Polar Regions;
- the pedagogical approaches, such as experiential learning, that help people create action from these experiences, and;
- the linkages to global sustainability challenges that result when people change their values and behaviours.
Grants & Funding
- Past projects have been funded by agencies such as:
- The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- The Norwegian Research Council
- The Dutch Research Council
- Global Affairs Canada
- The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The Nordic Council of Ministers
Open to Media Inquiries
Publications
Beames, S.K., & Maher, P.T. (Eds.). (2025). Routledge Handbook on mobile technology, social media and the outdoors. Routledge. Tin, T., Liggett, D., Maher, P.T., & Lamers, M. (Eds.). (2014). Antarctic futures: Human engagement with the Antarctic environment. Amsterdam: Springer. Maher, P.T., Stewart, E.J., & Lück, M. (Eds.). (2011). Polar Tourism: Human, Environmental and Governance Dimensions. Cognizant Communications Corp. Lück, M., Maher, P.T., & Stewart, E.J. (Eds.). (2010). Cruise Tourism in Polar Regions: Promoting Environmental and Social Sustainability? Earthscan.