Monica E. Mulrennan, PhD

Biography

Monica Mulrennan is a Full Professor in the Department of Geography, Planning & Environment at Concordia University, and Special Advisor to the VPRII on Research Impact. She holds a BA(Hons) and PhD in Geography from University College Dublin, Ireland. She is a founding member of CICADA (the Centre for Indigenous Conservation and Development Alternatives) at McGill University, and an honorary member of the ICCA Consortium (Indigenous Peoples’ and Community Conserved Areas and Territories).

Her research focuses on Indigenous knowledge, use and stewardship of Indigenous land-sea territories, Indigenous-led strategies of conservation and environmental protection, and local adaptations to environmental change. She has sustained research partnerships with Torres Strait Islanders, northern Queensland, and James Bay Crees (Eeyou Istchee), northern Quebec for more than twenty-five years. She has published numerous research papers and book chapters, in addition to contributing to the documentation of Indigenous land and sea claims and the establishment of Indigenous-led protected areas and conservation initiatives. 

Monica joined Concordia in 1994 and has served as Associate Dean, Graduate Student Affairs, in the School of Graduate Studies(2004-08), Chair of the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment(2014-17), and Associate Vice-President, Research (Development & Impact) (2019-2025). She received Concordia University’s Academic Leadership Award in 2017. 

Monica was the lead on Concordia's institutional "Pathways to Impact" initiative, and continues to contribute to that work as Concordia's delegate to the Pew-sponsored Presidents and Chancellor's Council on Public Impact Research and as Special Advisor to the VPRII on Research Impact.  

Research Interests

Current Research Projects

• “FISHES: Fostering Indigenous Small-scale fisheries for Health, Economy, and food Security”, a large-scale applied research project partly funded through Genome Canada and Genome Québec
• "A cultural history of seaweed harvesting along the West Coast of Ireland"

Graduate Student Opportunities

Monica is on administrative leave until June 30, 2026

Current and Recent Graduate Students

Research Publications

Courses Taught