I am working on the ‘wicked’ problem of the Climate and Nature Emergency, which involves folks from the social sciences, the humanities as well as the physical sciences. I am also advisor to the  Canadian Mountain Assessment directed at the University of Calgary. This latter project includes an equal number of Indigenous and Western scientists and is the first such example of which I am aware. I also continue to act as advisor to the UN Global Heritage Site Selection Committee.

My research focusses on global environmental change in mountainous landscapes, emphasizing the role of relief, hydroclimatology and human activities as the major drivers of change. Twenty-first century mountain landscapes are evolving under the globally scaled controls of hydroclimate and the spatially and temporally discontinuous impacts of human activity and tectonic plate movements. It is my premise that mass balances of sediments, solutes and nutrients are needed to test common assumptions about rates and causes of landscape change.

Award for Scholarly Distinction in Geography, Canadian Association of Geographers (2015)
Member of the Order of Canada (2014)
Fellow of British Society for Geomorphology (2013)
President of the UBC Association of Professors Emeriti (2012-13)
Honorary Recipient of the Dean of Arts Award (2012)
Acting Principal, St. John’s College (2010-2011)
Fellow of the International Association of Geomorphologists (2009)
Doctor of Science honoris causa: University of Wales (2007)
Acting Director, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies (2006-2007)
Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies (2005-2006)
Honorary Lifetime Member; Japanese Geomorphological Union (2005)
Visiting Research Professor, Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008)
Former President of the International Association of Geomorphologists (1997-2001)
Former Associate Vice-President Research, UBC (1991-1995)
Former President of the Canadian Association of Geographers (1990-1991)
Former Head of the Department (1982-1991)

2021

TURLEY, M., HASSAN, M. A. and SLAYMAKER, O. 2021 ‘Quantifying sediment connectivity: Moving toward a holistic assessment through a mixed methods approach’ Earth Surface Processes and Landforms https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5191

SLAYMAKER, O., SPENCER, T. and EMBLETON-HAMANN, C. 2021 ‘Recasting geomorphology as a landscape science‘ Geomorphology 384  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.107723

2020

SLAYMAKER, O. and CATTO, N. eds. 2020 Landscapes and Landforms of Eastern Canada.  Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing

SLAYMAKER, O. 2020 ‘Disconnectivity in geomorphology‘ Studia Geomorphologica Carpatho-Balcanica 53-54: 1-24

2017

SLAYMAKER, O. ed. 2017 Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing

No longer accepting applications from students.