Heather Allen
I’m from Penticton BC, and work as a professor of communications at Okanagan College. Every day, I’m grateful to live in the beautiful, traditional and unceded territory of the nsyilxcən-speaking peoples. For the past fifteen years, I’ve worked as a strategic communications consultant, mainly for non-profits and in the health care sector. Previously, I was a journalist – holding all sorts of positions including reporter, photographer, designer, columnist and managing editor.
I have a BA in English Literature from UBC (1993), a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of King’s College (1995) and an MA in Communications and Technology from the University of Alberta (2021). My doctoral studies will investigate bike lane controversies as a communicative phenomenon. In particular, I plan to explore the engagement and discourse surrounding Penticton’s contentious bike lane project. Working alongside the community, I hope to share findings with Penticton, and at the same time, look for frameworks that might facilitate better, less polarized public conversations about climate action issues.
