Kelly Vodden is a research professor with the Environmental Policy Institute and Associate Vice-President of Research and Graduate Studies at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University. She has been engaged in the rural community and regional development research, policy, and practice across the country, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador, for more than 25 years. She has published and led projects on topics ranging from rural regional governance and development models to climate change adaptation, rural drinking water systems, and labour force mobility, and has written and presented widely on these topics.