Masterclass with Dr Meredith Hovis
- When:
- Thursday,
5 October 2023 - Time:
- 10am-noon
- Where:
- UWA Institute of Advanced Studies
- Cost:
- Free
- Audience:
- Honours Students, Postgraduate Students, Early Career Researchers, Academics, Professional Researchers
Community outreach for nature-based solutions research: the importance of relationship-building
An Institute of Advanced Studies Masterclass with Dr Meredith Hovis, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
Effective community engagement is critically important for nature-based solutions research, as it uncovers vital information on the social acceptance of interventions, which is key to their long-term success. Additionally, prioritising low-income communities in outreach can ensure their voices and concerns are heard, supporting social equity and justice in greening efforts.
In this masterclass, Dr Meredith Hovis will share essential strategies for engaging with and supporting underserved communities through nature-based solutions research. Drawing from the 'Build Your Dream Garden' workshops that she helped lead in Tucson, Arizona, along with myriad other efforts, Dr Hovis will discuss the importance of establishing trusting relationships with community members to support equitable outcomes. Join to experience a "mini-version" of the 'Build Your Dream Garden' workshop, and be inspired to use innovative methods for your own research ideas!
About the Presenter
Dr Meredith Hovis is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Caroline, Wilmington. She is an interdisciplinary social scientist with areas of expertise in climate change adaptation; nature-based solutions; flood mitigation; disaster resilience; and natural resource management and policy. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a PhD in Forestry and Environmental Science, where she helped pilot a flood mitigation program called "FloodWise" that would assist rural, low-income communities in Eastern North Carolina to adopt nature-based solutions. Dr Hovis completed her postdoctoral research at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona, where she studied environmental governance and science policy initiatives within the Colorado River Basin and green infrastructure preferences of low-income communities in Tucson, Arizona. Overall, Dr Hovis' research combines land governance strategies, local and indigenous knowledge, and nature-based solutions to help mitigate climate change and disaster impacts.
Dr Hovis is a UWA Gledden Visiting Fellow.