Kara Shaw

Karena (Kara) Shaw is Professor in the School of Environmental Studies, Academic Director of the Transformative Climate Action Certificate, and member of the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems. Her research and teaching focus on the social and political dynamics of responses to climate change, with a particular focus on community-driven energy transitions as shaped at the intersection global and local forces.

This focus is expressed in her CFGS fellowship, which will focus on designing a pedagogical approach to support students to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage with diverse actors, values and forms of knowledge to design and implement effective climate action. This project is grounded in the recognition that the primary blockages to climate action at the pace and scale required are social and political, and that effectively engaging these dynamics requires navigating dynamic and complex socio-cultural-political terrains. Through the fellowship she will bring together researchers, practitioners, and students to engage this challenge and build curriculum for the new Certificate in Transformative Climate Action. A key aspect of this process is to simultaneously nurture a community of practice for tackling the complex, interdisciplinary, socio-ecological challenges that characterize our contemporary political landscapes.