The University Centre of the Westfjords received ten applications for the position of a master's program director. All applicants hold at least one masters degree, three applicants hold a PhD or have reached far in a PhD-program. Nine applicants hold a degree within coastal zone management, resource management, or related topics. 

The application committee decided to hire Dr. Catherine Chambers for the position. Catherine Chambers has experience from the CMM master’s program as she has been both supervisor as well as second reader of numerous masters’ theses, and most recently taught the qualitative methods workshop in the Applied Methodology course.

She holds a PhD from University of Alaska Fairbanks, a master degree in Zoology from University of Southern Illinois and a bachelor degree from Drake University in Environmental Science. Her PhD dissertation was entitled "Fisheries management and fishing livelihoods in Iceland" and was part of the US National Science Foundation “Marine Ecosystem Sustainability in the Arctic and Subarctic” interdisciplinary training program.

Catherine Chambers’ research interests include fisheries management, coastal communities, and Arctic social-ecological systems. Her recent publications include “Thirty years after privatization: A survey of Icelandic small-boat fishermen,” “Community, change and conflict in Icelandic fisheries,” and earlier publications are on biology/zoology. She has also published a paper outlining a new guideline for teaching concepts of sustainability and interdisciplinary for University level courses. A broad background that covers both quantitative and qualitative methods from the natural and social sciences is important for the University Centre, as the program director should optimally be able to meet the students' broad and various research interests.

Catherine Chambers has been working in Iceland since 2008, most recently as Research specialist at Hólar University College/Blönduós Centre of Research and Collaboration since 2011, and is also an associate scientist at Stefánsson Arctic Institute in Akureyri.