Bio

Kate is conducting her thesis research under Dr. Leila Harris, and is a research assistant in the EDGES collaborative. Her research, rooted in feminist political ecology, explores the impact of recent olive tree management practices on the displacement and livelihoods of Palestinian women in the West Bank. Her broader research interests intersect ecology, identity, gender, and conflict, employing interdisciplinary methods to address key questions in this space.

Kate holds a BA in Geography with minors in Political Science and Arabic Studies from the University of Oregon. She conducted her first research project in Mafraq, Jordan, where she analyzed the role of hydroponic agriculture on social cohesion between Syrian refugees and Jordanian residents. Her undergraduate thesis applied the criminalization of harvesting wild za’atar in the West Bank to green colonialism in the context of the greater conflict. Before beginning her MA at UBC, she worked as a geospatial analyst in the NASA Develop Program and a legislative intern in the Oregon State Legislature.