His primary areas of academic interest include: environmental assessment and public participation; good governance and the role of the state in development; agricultural and environmental policy; and regional economic development. He is Co-chair of the Public Participation Section of the International Association for Impact Assessment; a member of the Board of Directors of the Organic Council of Ontario; Lead for the Natural Resources Development Team of the Rural Policy Learning Commons Partnership Project, and a regular teaching faculty for the International Comparative Rural Policy Studies Summer Institute.