Dr. Jim Randall was a professor of geography and planning at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) before joining the University of Prince Edward Island in July 2010. He received his PhD in economic geography from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1987. He has an MA in economic and urban geography (1981), and a BA in human geography (1979) from York University.

Dr. Randall is an experienced university administrator and teacher, having served at UNBC as Acting President and Vice-Chancellor; Acting Provost; and Dean of the College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences. He also served as Co-director of the Community-University Institute for Social Research and Chair of the Geography Department at the University of Saskatchewan.

His research interests combine his professional roots in economic and urban geography with his experience in administration and in fostering community-university research partnerships.