Gail Hochachka

Academic interests

Gail Hochachka is a PhD candidate at University of Oslo, Norway. She is interested in the deeper human dimensions of climate change and how to construe adaptation as transformation to sustainability, with a focus on the unique dynamics and drivers of transformation present in individuals, groups and systems. Her study involves the highland coffee communities of Guatemala as well as buyers, retailers and consumers of coffee in North America.

Courses taught

• North / South Development
• Environment and Society
• Environment and Innovation 
• Transformations to Sustainability 

Background

Brief presentation of previous work experience and education:

Gail Hochachka is a doctoral research fellow at the University of Olso, Norway, working with Dr. Karen O'Brien in the AdaptationCONNECTS project (Combining Old and New kNoweldge to Enable Conscious Transformation) to develop new understandings of whether and how different types of transformations can contribute to successful adaptation to climate change. Previously, she spent 18 years working with non-profit organizations in sustainable development in Africa, Latin America and North America on diverse themes such as rainforest conservation, community development, women’s empowerment, sustainability leadership, global value chains, and climate resilience. Her Masters research drew on interdisciplinary studies and conducted field work in El Salvador, to contribute to the development of a theory and practice of integral community development. Some of her work with NGOs involved conducting action research projects on topics such as on how to include the human dimensions better in international development, on how to monitor and evaluate both the 'hard' and 'soft' capacities needed for successfully in sustainability projects, and on how to engage local perspectives in community-based climate change adaptation. She taught at the graduate level at John F. Kennedy University from 2006-2013, both on campus and online, and pioneered field courses in El Salvador and Peru. She is currently on a research stay at the University of British Columbia, Canada, at the Social-Ecological Systems research group under Dr. Shannon Hagerman.