Kate O'Neill

Kate O'Neill is Professor of Global Environmental Governance and Associate Dean for Instruction and Student Affairs at the Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. Her research addresses global environmental governance challenges across climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste management. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University and a BA from Oxford University. Current projects include US recycling policy transitions, global plastic governance, and disaster waste management.

Research interests focus on the intersection of waste as a globalized resource, climate change linkages, and environmental justice. Her work analyzes how governance systems adapt to complex transboundary risks and waste labor dynamics.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on waste-to-climate interconnections, consumer behavior, and international policy effectiveness. Trends include innovative methodologies for studying global environmental problems and science communication through diverse media channels.

Awards and Honors:

• 2022 CACS Team Award
• 2019 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer
• 2018 Sustainability Leadership Award

Advising includes mentoring graduate students in environmental policy research. Outreach integrates academic work with public education through NPR, Washington Post, and international media interviews.

Leads the O'Neill Group research lab and collaborates with local governments to evaluate policies like Berkeley's Single-Use Foodware Ordinance.