Michelle Farrell

Michelle Farrell is an Assistant Professor in Physical Geography specialising in Quaternary Science at Coventry University's Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience. She holds a PhD from the University of Hull (2009) and a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science from the University of Wales (2003). Her research focuses on human-environment interactions, particularly using pollen analysis to explore Holocene environmental changes and their societal impacts. She has conducted postdoctoral work at Queen's University Belfast (ERC-funded FRAGSUS project) and contributed to projects like the Bay of Ireland palaeolandscape assessment and Thorne/Hatfield Moors reconstructions. Her work addresses climate change, biodiversity conservation, and flood management through palaeoenvironmental data, while refining pollen analysis models for diverse environments.

• Education:
• PhD: University of Hull (2005-2009)
• BSc: University of Wales (2000-2003)
• Key Projects:
• CU/Trailblazer: Waterborne pollen transport model (2023-2027)
• Anthropogenic Heathlands: disturbance ecologies (2020-2025)
• Thorne/Hatfield Moors Hidden Landscapes (2017-ongoing)
• Research Themes:
• Human-environment feedback mechanisms
• Pollen-based vegetation reconstruction
• Palaeoenvironmental data applications

Her recent work emphasizes improving pollen dispersal models and addressing contemporary environmental challenges through historical ecological insights. She actively collaborates across institutions and has presented at international conferences on topics like heathland conservation and palaeolandscape reconstruction.