Faculty and Research Associates

Overview

Kevin Wainwright, PhD, is an academic economist and administrator with over 30 years of experience in higher education, applied research, and veteran education advocacy. He has held leadership roles at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and Simon Fraser University (SFU). He was awarded his PhD in Economics from Simon Fraser University

Specializations and Impact Areas

• Veteran and first-responder educational transition
• Microeconomic theory and applied environmental economics
• Labor market research and Indigenous educational partnerships
• Experiential learning, modular programming, and credential recognition

Key Contributions

1. Veteran Education and Workforce Integration

• • Founder of the Legion Military Skills Conversion Program at BCIT (2010), helping over 400 veterans gain academic credit for military training.
  • Developed APPL (Advanced Placement and Prior Learning) as an alternative to PLAR.
  • Spearheaded the National APPL (N-APPL) Project (2015) funded with $837,000, expanding military credit recognition to 27 Canadian post-secondary institutions.
  • Presented before the Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs (2012), leading to national implementation.

2. Applied Research and Public Policy Studies

• Conducted recurring Economic Impact Studies for BCIT (2004–2020).
• Co-authored reports on:
  • Short Sea Shipping Feasibility (2007) – Port of Vancouver
  • Carbon Offset and Tax Evaluation (2008) – Boundary Bay Airport
  • COVID-19 Economic and Social Impact in BC (2022)
  • Research applied in environmental economics, regional policy, and educational evaluation.

3. Academic Publications

• Textbook Co-author: Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics (with Alpha C. Chiang), widely used in economics education.
• Notable Articles:
  • Relative Age Effects in Education and Sports (2007)
  • Environmental Regulation & Moral Hazard (1999)
  • Strategic Use of Legal Services in Tort Law (2017)
  • Economic Analysis of Wildfires in BC (2024, presented at ACEA)
• Published several papers on veteran education, prior learning assessment, and alternative educational pathways in venues such as ASEE and CISSE.

4. Academic Leadership

• UFV (2023–present): Associate Dean, Business and Computing. Leads curriculum development and faculty strategy.
• SFU (2007–present): Adjunct Professor of Economics. Teaches and supervises in microeconomic theory and environmental economics.
• BCIT (1994–2022): Held multiple roles:
  • Associate Dean (2017–2022)
  • Director, SITE Centre of Excellence in Human Capital Research (2015–2022