Eric Vaz

Eric Vaz is a Canadian writer and scholar whose work explores the hidden connections between places and the people who inhabit them. As a full professor based in Toronto, Dr. Vaz investigates how landscapes and environments shape human lives through both rigorous spatial analysis and imaginative fiction. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Management and specializes in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geospatial data science, uncovering complex patterns in human-environment systems. His academic credentials include being recognized as a "Rising Star" by the Regional Science Association International (2012), serving as President of the Canadian Regional Science Association, and ranking among the world's top scholars in habitat studies. He has published multiple books and over eighty scientific contributions.

In his creative writing, Eric brings a place-based sensibility to fiction, exploring themes of identity, memory, renewal, and the uncanny—stories set in environments that quietly shape us. Trilingual in English, German, and Portuguese, he draws on a rich cultural background that informs his global perspective. When not analyzing spatial systems or crafting stories, Eric explores how to scale ideas for social impact through AI tools, digital publishing, and human-centred ventures.