Chris Sheach

Year Started at Paul Smith’s: 2022
Department: Forestry

Biography

Born in Canada, Chris has spent more than half of his life abroad, travelled to 36 countries and lived in places as far flung as Indonesia, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Mozambique. Building on an undergraduate degree in Intercultural Studies (Houghton University, NY), Chris earned a Master of Arts in Disaster & Emergency Management (Royal Roads University, BC) and is completing a PhD in Fire and Emergency Management Administration (Oklahoma State University). He is a certified EMT and a volunteer firefighter.

Before teaching fulltime, Chris worked for 15 years in international disaster response and recovery. He operated in several combat zones and led teams in the aftermath of natural disasters including tsunami, volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. During his career, Chris served on global committees and advisory panels for food security, emergency shelter, disaster technology and clean energy and is a governing member of the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection. Along the way, he has learned seven languages and picked up a love of soccer, spicy food and strong coffee.

Courses Taught

DMR 101 Fundamentals of Disaster Management
DMR 330 Disaster Site Assessment
SUS 530 Building Collaborative Communities