Dr. Kate Sherren

Professor, School For Resource and environmental Studies, Dalhousie University

Dr. Kate Sherren is Professor and Academic Program Coordinator in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University. She researches the social dimensions of landscape change, particularly the sorts of changes required for sustainability transitions, most recently coastal climate change adaptation. She uses a range of qualitative and quantitative social science methods with spatial science and Big Data in her work to understand landscape norms and expectations, and what happens when those are challenged. Her current work is focused on applying ‘climax thinking’, a new theory she developed based on research in Atlantic Canadian settings, to understand resistance to change and ways to ease it. She is also co-lead of the Atlantic case study landscape of NSERC ResNet, a Strategic Partnership Grant for Networks (2019-2024), which will use ecosystem services to inform decision-making in contentious production landscapes; the Atlantic case study is the Bay of Fundy dykelands.