I am a political scientist and human geographer who specialises in environmental governance, political participation, and crisis response. I am a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Policy at Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University.

A particular focus of my research is understanding civic engagement in environmental politics. My work has examined grassroots community participation, spanning conservation groups, climate activism, disaster and crisis volunteerism, and youth politics. I am also interested in public engagement practices within political institutions, including to foreground experiences of marginalisation within political systems. My work also considers how publics are involved in science and decision-making about contentious technologies like genetic modification.

As Co-Lead of Bioprotection Futures (with Marc Tadaki), our team of social researchers are systematically analysing Aotearoa New Zealand’s biosecurity system to identify opportunities for stronger bioprotection outcomes. Our project evaluates how the biosecurity system works at both a national and regional scale, the convergence of bioprotection issues and responses in Horomaka | Banks Peninsula (Canterbury), and the potential to upscale bioprotection interventions.