Environmental assessment is a process that is used to understand the impacts of a proposed project before development begins. A tool now used worldwide, environmental assessment is one way the government seeks to advance sustainable development, meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the future. Public participation is a cornerstone of environmental assessment, and it is one of the few legal processes that encourages those with an interest in the project to get involved.

Dr. Patricia Fitzpatrick is interested in the different ways the public are engaged in environmental assessment processes. How do different parties share their opinions about a proposed development? How does this information contribute to better decisions? In turn, what are the learning outcomes arising from each assessment? Dr. Fitzpatrick's research focuses on large, northern-based developments in the resource areas of mining and energy. She has studied diamond mines in Canada, a dam in northern Manitoba, and most recently, a gas project in the Mackenzie Valley.

Her findings suggest that participants experience a range of learning outcomes; while some focus specifically at the project at hand, other address broader questions related to individual behavioural change and government management strategies for sustainable development. These findings, in turn, shed light on how to strengthen public participation in environmental assessment. While change sometimes occurs slowly, the results of her research have been used in redesigning processes and are influencing environmental activities. The goal of her research is to make environmental assessment a more user friendly and consistent process, and a better value for investment.