Patrick Lawrence, Ph.D.
Department Chair, Professor
Snyder Memorial 3061
419.530.4128
Education
Ph.D. University of Waterloo (Canada), 1996 – Geography
M.Sc. University of Guelph (Canada), 1991 - Geography
B.E.S. University of Waterloo (Canada), 1989 – Geography
Research Interests
During his career, Dr. Lawrence has developed extensive experience in regards to numerous Great Lakes environmental and related planning issues in both the United States and Canada, including water quality, watershed management, Great Lakes Areas of Concern, land use change, wetland conservation, coastal planning, Great Lakes water levels, parks and protected areas and related public policy. His research focuses on community decision-making to address environmental planning issues through the use of policy development, planning and management approaches, and the application of remote sensing and GIS.
Since 1999, he has been active member of the Maumee Remedial Action Plan Advisory Committee in NW Ohio (serving as Chair from 2006-2016). Dr. Lawrence was also a founding board member President, for Partners for Clean Streams Inc., which was established as a non-profit NGO in 2007 as the local partner and legal entity for public outreach, community engagement, projects, and related research within the Maumee Area of Concern in NW Ohio. He has served leadership roles on numerous local, regional and national organizations including the American Association of Geographers (AAG), International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), The Coastal Society (TCS), Coastal Zone Canada Association (CZCA), and the East Lakes Division of the Association of American Geographers (ELDAAG), and has participated in many Great Lakes geography, and planning conferences, public meetings, and professional workshops, giving over 80 presentations in last twenty years. His research has been published in numerous books, peer reviewed journals and book chapters.
Dr. Lawrence’s current research involves various projects associated with Great Lakes water resources and associated planning efforts with recent funding support from Ohio EPA, US EPA, USDA NRCS, and USFWS. This work focuses on water quality issues, policy and planning within the Maumee AOC, habitat restoration, assessment of land use practices and the use of GIS and remote sensing. Examples of recent projects are the habitat river restoration of the Ottawa River at the University of Toledo, watershed management in the Maumee Area of Concern, Lake Erie Harmful Algae Blooms (HABs)-including nutrient management and CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and planning for Great Lakes parks and protected areas.
