Pursuing a PhD degree

Supervisor: Dr. Mohammed Rafi Arefin (Geography) and Dr. Leila Harris (IRES/GRSJ)

Degrees: M.A. Geography, University of British Columbia, 2023.
B.A. Individualized Study, New York University, 2019.

Entry Date: September 2023

Expected Graduation Date: August 2028

Research Statement: My research is located at the intersection of extreme heat, urban politics, housing justice, and memory studies, specifically focusing on the experiences of vulnerable older adults during heat events in British Columbia. I am specifically interested in how lived experiences of heat are documented, legitimized, and mobilized in community organizing, urban planning, and public health. My doctoral work looks at different methodologies for understanding heat, drawing on oral history, photovoice, and archival methodologies. This research builds on my MA work, which focused on the impact of climate change-induced extreme weather on vulnerable tenants in Vancouver, British Columbia. My MA work was a part of a wider community partnership and project with the Centre for Climate Justice (CCJ), the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC), and South Vancouver Seniors Network (SVSN). More broadly, I am interested in urban political ecology and feminist political ecology approaches to climate change and disaster politics.