Faglige interesser
Karen’s research focuses on the human and social dimensions of global environmental change. Her work explores the relationship between adaptation and transformations to sustainability. She emphasizes integrative approaches, including how beliefs, values, worldviews, and paradigms influence systems change and social change. She is interested in how quantum social science can inform how we understand, engage with, and scale social change. Karen’s recent books include You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a Thriving World and Climate and Society: Transforming the Future (with Robin Leichenko). Karen has been named by Web of Science as one of the world’s most influential researchers of the past decade. In 2021 she was co-recipient of the BBVA Foundations Frontiers of Knowledge Award for Climate Change. Karen is currently co-chair of the International Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) transformative change assessment.
Undervisning
- SOSGEO2301 - Environment and Society
- SGO3200 - Environment and Innovation
- SOSGEO4301 - Global Environmental Change
Bakgrunn
- B.A. in International Relations at the College of William and Mary, 1985
- M.S. in Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1990
- Ph.D. in Geography at the Pennsylvania State University, 1995
- Post-doc at the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), 1996
- Senior Research Fellow at CICERO, 1997-2005
- 20% position in the Department of Human Geography, 2001-2005
- Professor in Human Geography in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography, 2005 - present
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Doctor of Philosophy honoris causa at Linköping University, Sweden (awarded in May 2022 due to Covid-19).
Priser
- 2022 Member of Academia Europaea, The Academy of Europe.
- 2021 BBVA Foundation's Frontiers of Knowledge award for climate change research
- 2015 University of Oslo Student Parliament's Teaching Award
- 2011 Burtoni Prize for Adaptation Research
- 2008 AAG Meridian Book Award (with Robin Leichenko) for ”Environmental Change and Globalization: Double Exposures”
- Shared in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awared to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Verv
- 2021- current Co-chair, IPBES transformative change assessment
- 2014 – 2015 Science Committee, Our Common Future in a Changing Climate Conference, Paris 2015
- 2013 – 2015 Member of Science Committee, Future Earth
- 2012 – 2014 Transdisciplinary Advisory Board member, EU Joint Programming Initiative –Climate Change.
- 2012 – 2014 Core Writing Team Member for the Synthesis Report (SYR), IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, and Topic 3 Co-Facilitator
- 2012 – 2014 Author, Summary for Policy Makers, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group II.
- 2009 – 2014 Lead Author, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, Working Group II, Chapter 20.
- 2012 – 2014 Board Member, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo.
- 2011 -- 2013 Chair of Working Group "Towards a Revolution in Education and Capacity Building" for ESF-COST Forward Look RESCUE Project
- 2011– 2013 Member, Transition Team, 10-year Initiative on Earth System Science for Global Sustainability. Co-Chair of Working Group on “Research Vision”.
- 2009 – 2012 Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 8 of the IPCC SREX report