About Raul

“So, what do you blog about?” It’s always hard to answer when I have fought so hard for the past four years to NOT be compartmentalized. Whenever asked, I answer “I blog about myself and my life in Vancouver”. That, in a nutshell, is what I write about: me in the context of the community I am embedded in. I write about the restaurants I eat at, the events I attend, the things that make me think (in social media, in environment, in public policy, in global politics). I write about theatre, dance and arts, in general, because I was educated as an artist as well (I’m a former competitive dancer and theatre stage actor).

I have a Doctor of Philosopy (PhD) degree in Resource Management and Environmental Studies and consider myself primarily an academic, an educator and a researcher. My major concentration was Comparative Public Policy (with a focus on environmental politics and policy) but my doctoral dissertation built an interdisciplinary framework with theory and methods that borrow from many disciplines, including primarily economic geography, urban planning, public policy and chemical and environmental engineering. That said, I have always enjoyed having a personal blog. This blog tells the story of my life in Vancouver and the many things that interest me: my research, teaching and consulting (environmental studies, particularly urban sustainability, water governance and environmental policy), my hobbies and activities (keywords in my world include theatre, dance, social media, volleyball, tennis, friends).

While I write this blog primarily for myself, it has gained popularity in Vancouver, British Columbia, some parts of Canada and worldwide. I very much treasure the fact that people read it and like it enough to come back for another dose. I am always looking for ways to showcase the great things that happen in Vancouver, and in Canada. I often run contests, promotions and giveaways. I do not receive any compensation for any of those. Technology reviews are also frequently featured (gadgets, software) on this blog.

My consulting studio has a home at The Network Hub since 2008, and I currently sit on their Board of Advisors. You may find me there quite frequently (particularly on the days when I am not teaching). I have been the organizer of the Vancouver Blogger Meetup since April of 2008. This Meetup is open to anybody with an interest in blogging, regardless of experience or blogging platform. I have also been in the past a volunteer Board Advisor to the Vancouver chapter of Social Media Club. This is a wonderful group that aims to enhance the conversation around social media. I do a fair bit of social media consulting work (though this is by no means my primary focus).

The kind of social media work I’ve done includes social media strategy and implementation, blogger relations, platform deployment and network modeling. I speak frequently on topics of engagement, community building and the behavior of online networks, particularly around the intersection of public policy, politics and social media as well as teaching with social media. Recent projects include the edition and strategy deployment for the site BC Vote, as well as blogger relation projects for Urban Bella Marketing, and the social media strategy for The Community Against Preventable Injuries.

My social media platforms

You can find me
- On Twitter (personal) – @hummingbird604
- On Twitter (research) – @raulpacheco
- On my research blog – RaulPacheco.org
- On Facebook – (my professional page)
- On Flickr (personal) – Raul P
- On Blip.fm – Raul’s DJ Playlist
- On YouTube – My YouTube channel

You can send me an email through my contact form as well.