Location: Ernest Rutherford 262
I am an interdisciplinary researcher with a keen interest in social-environmental hazard risk management and analysis. In order to address some of our most complex and pressing risk reduction challenges, I believe we need to connect various academic disciplines, government bodies, and communities. Integrating diverse perspectives, skills, methodologies, and worldviews into risk reduction initiatives can help foster resilience to future emergencies.
My doctoral research project centres on the social-environmental issue of international migrant exposure to hazard risk in Aotearoa New Zealand. Both social and environmental factors drive international migration, and existing research suggests that migrants are often more vulnerable to and disproportionately affected by natural hazard events. However, we do not have sufficient knowledge about where, how, and why migrants are exposed to natural hazard risk. Understanding this is crucial for emergency planning, response, and recovery, especially in Aotearoa New Zealand, which is home to both a diverse range of natural hazards and a high proportion of international migrants (27% of population born overseas) (Statistics New Zealand, 2018).
To study migrant exposure comprehensively and consider its social-environmental drivers, I’m integrating methods from physical, geospatial, and social sciences. This involves mapping and interpreting quantitative hazard and sociodemographic data, as well as a qualitative ‘deep dive’ with community members and other key stakeholders.
I hold a BA in Anthropology and English Literature from Oberlin College (USA), and a MSc in Development Studies (Distinction) from Victoria University of Wellington (NZ).
Supervisors:
Primary Supervisor: Sarah Beaven
Co-Supervisor: Thomas Robinson
Additional Supervisor: Malcolm Campbell
Research Interests
- Interdisciplinary disaster risk reduction
- Social-ecological systems
- Exposure and risk assessment
- GIS
- Environmental justice
Working thesis title
The exposure of international migrants to (natural) hazards: An Aotearoa New Zealand case study
Academic History
BA, Oberlin College (2016)
Master of Development Studies, Victoria University of Wellington (2020)
