Alexander Morgenthaler
Who I am
Alexander Morgenthaler
PhD Geography
My desire to convey knowledge and love of both urban and wild spaces led me to pursue Geography. Geography to me is a true inter-disciplinary treasure, a discipline that connects us all. Environmental, Urban, Climate,Transportation, Sustainability, Economic, Political, Cultural, Physical, Hydrology, Retail, Rural, Protected Areas, and more all become encapsulated and available for study under Geography. I consider myself an Urban Geographer but given my education touched on almost every aspect of Geography. I also consider myself a generalist able to be adept at numerous tasks and in many fields of study.
Location
Research Interests
Climate Geographies
Weather and climate impact operational and social fabrics, a rainy day can change behaviour, a snow storm can cancel flights, and a katabatic flow in the right location in a chillier season can create black ice. The mixture of temperature, humidity, pressure, topography, and ensuing winds/currents make weather and climate a fundamental evolving entity. Combined with climate change, adverse weather derived disasters, sustainability and health connections among others climate is a vast area that can never be exhausted for exploration.
Transportation Geography
Mobility has been a key interest of mine, the impacts of mass transport, the sustainability developments, shifts away from combustion towards electrification, last mile delivery, active transportation, transportation as a service, modal shift and interactions.
Disaster Geographies
In every disaster the crisis can lead to both tragedy and new knowledge that can enable us as a society to better prepare for, mitigate, or respond to the existing or next crisis. The dynamics of disaster impacts, behaviour shifts in response, and adaptations undertaken are an ever evolving field.
Urban Geographies
Urban areas are dominant in many lives, the majority of Earths population lives in cities. Every city is different, molded by local, regional, and global contexts and influences. Cities are a place of economic transaction, cultural exchange, and logistic hubs. Cities are a ever changing area of study in all countries.
Sustainability and Circular Economy
We have a single planet until interstellar travel dawns so we must find ways to preserve and maintain our planet. Sustainability and circular economy provide an avenue to achieve at least some of this through either minimizing or negating societies' impacts through each of us doing even small things to use less and dispose of less. It is this complexity of sustainability and its interconnections that fascinate me.
Education
PhD
Geography, Western University (2025)
In keeping with my everlasting diversification my PhD thesis focused on Consumer behaviour shifts and food hospitality business survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. I graduated with my doctorate in Geography and Environment from the University of Western Ontario in December 2025
MSc Urban Studies, Université libre de Bruxelles (2020)
(Joint Program)
I graduated with a Masters of Science from Université libre de Bruxelles in June 2020 Magna Cum Laude. My thesis studied the network dependency of LEED Certified buildings throughout Canada related to sustainability in urban environments.
Thesis: Urban Sustainability: Network Dependency Across the Urban Rural Divide in Canada’s Built Environment
MSc Urban Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2020)
(Joint Program)
I graduated with a Masters of Science from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in June 2020 Magna Cum Laude. My thesis studied the network dependency of LEED Certified buildings throughout Canada related to sustainability in urban environments.
Thesis: Urban Sustainability: Network Dependency Across the Urban Rural Divide in Canada’s Built Environment
Bachelor or Arts, Geography – University of Victoria, Victoria, BC (2018)
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria in 2018 with a double major in Geography and History with a minor in Co-operative Education specializing in Urban Geography.
Presentations
“Examining Consumer Food Purchasing Behaviour in Southwestern Ontario During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Canadian Association of Geographers Conference, Victoria, British Columbia, 2026 (coming up)
“Examining Consumer Food Purchasing Behaviour in
Southwestern Ontario During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Canadian Association of
Geographers Ontario Conference, Toronto, Ontario, 2024
“Examining Effectiveness of Food Hospitality Business
COVID-19 Survival Strategies Across Southwestern Ontario, Canada”, European
Association of Geographers Annual Conference, Porto, Portugal, 2024
“Emissions in Urban Environment: A Comprehensive Urban
Transport Network and Emission Modelling System for Halifax, Canada”, 99th
Annual Transportation Safety Board Conference, Detroit, MI, 2020
“Mass Evacuation Planning: Determination of Evacuation Routes through Traffic Microsimulations”, 99th Annual Transportation Safety Board Conference, Detroit, MI, 2020
Publications and Papers
Alexander Morgenthaler, Louise McEachern, Godwin Arku, Alexander Wray, Sean Doherty, Jason Gilliland. Perceptions and Adaptations of the Food Environment: An Examination of Extra-Sectoral Actors in Southwestern Ontario. Canadian Geographies.
Alexander Morgenthaler, Shiran Zhong, Alexander Wray, Godwin Arku, Sean Doherty, Jamie Seabrook, Jason Gilliland. Examining Consumer Food Hospitality Purchasing Behaviour in Southwestern Ontario During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
A paper researching the connections between LEED certified buildings and the underlying networks of urban and rural areas to better understand the factors surrounding the sustainability of these buildings.
Morgenthaler, Alexander, Urban Sustainability: Network Dependency Across the Urban Rural Divide in Canada’s Built Environment (June 1, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3867639 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3867639
Habib, M., Bela, P., & Morgenthaler, A. (2020, January). 99th Transportation Research Board Conference. Emissions in Urban Environment: A Comprehensive Urban Transport Network and Emission Modelling System for Halifax, Canada.
Habib, Muhammad, A., Alam, J., Lacroix, J., & Morgenthaler, A. (2020). 99th Transportation Research Board Conference. Mass Evacuation Planning: Determination of Evacuation Routes through Traffic Microsimulations.
Teaching and Knowledge Philosophy
Convey, Utilize, and Guide
Teaching to me is a conveyance of knowledge and skills that can assist someone in day to day life or their profession. I tend to approach research and scholarly pursuits from a mixed utilitarian networked actor humanist approach which centers on the practicality of the research (i.e., how it can be used) but also embeds the complexities of the world in the approach through examining and taking into account the multiplicity and connectedness of actors (e.g., individuals, organizations, and factors in the shaping of the world and of behaviours). Additionally this approach looks at the world through humanity as the knowledge generators and seeing as we (humanity) are the ones conducting the research it is a logical viewpoint.
In teaching I see the world as infinitely complex, a wondrous connected living lab and my hope is that through teaching we can prepare the people of the future for anything. I teach through conveyance and hands on training while fostering an atmosphere of self discovery and realization.
- Convey to the students the information they need and any context required.
- Provide hands on experience with tools such as software or equipment (e.g., ArcGIS Pro and psychrometers).
- Encouraging students to come to conclusions and absorb the useful information on their own, guiding them as needed to better understand the content.
- Motivating students to explore the topic on their own and bring forward their new knowledge and/or skills to build their own foundation. In the end it is the student themselves who absorbs the knowledge and learns skills, the best we can do as educators is to convey the knowledge required in an exciting and engaging way, and find ways to give students the information they need in the hope that we peak their interest and they find new areas of study they enjoy.
In terms of knowledge generation I can sum it up in a motto:
I live by several personal philosophies in my day to day life and in teaching, one university motto that speaks to me was Scientia vincere tenebras with the underlying philosophy of Redelijk eigenzinnig, approximate translation Reason and Engage. Together this builds the philosophy of exploring critical questions, challenging conventional wisdom and fostering innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
Teaching Interests
Urban Geographies
Weather and Climate
Disaster Geographies
Sustainability and Circular Economy
Technology and Society
Tourism Geographies
Transportation, Logistics and Retail Geographies
Teaching Experience
- Land Use Planning
- Geography of Tourism
- Covidence Software
- Weather and Climate
- Geography of Hazards
- Digital Earth
- Indigenous Health
- Geography of Tourism
- Intro to Physical Geography
- Intro to Human Geography
- Assisted in other courses for exam invigilation, in-class assignments, labs, and tutorials as required
- DigiPen Computer Game Design
Research Experience
Research Associate, Human Environment Analysis Laboratory, Western University, Ontario, Canada 2020 - Present
An ongoing member of the Human Environment Analysis Laboratory Research Team
- Designed and analyzed spatial and survey datasets examining economic and consumer trends across urban and rural areas
- Conducted statistical modelling to identify factors influencing business survival and consumer behaviour
- Produced GIS-based analyses and visualizations to support policy-relevant research outputs
- Managed research workflows, timelines, and student assistants
- Primary Research Project: Food Environment Study for Health and Economic Resiliency About the Project
Visiting Researcher, Dalhousie Transportation Research Collaboratory, Dalhousie University, Haliface, Nova Scotia Canada 2019
A part of the DALTRAC Research Team
- Developed 3D GIS visualizations for transportation and evacuation modelling projects
- Supported technical research outputs and conference materials
Work Experience
Project Assistant, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Victoria BC Canada 2017 -2018
Part of the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) Team
- Prepared financial and analytical documentation supporting federal disaster programs
- Produced briefing materials for senior leadership and decision-makers
- Maintained and analyzed disaster event records to support operational planning
- Developed historic signage for roadside education ensuring factual accuracy
Interpreter and Archivist, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff Alberta 2016
Part of the Education and Knowledge Translation Team
- Guided historic gallery tours
- Conducted townsite historic walking tours
- Evaluated and analyzed historic photographs for archival records
- Created archival descriptions to facilitate historic material assessments for future research
- Represented the museum conversing with patrons to facilitate historic knowledge dissemination