معرفی
Carolyn Smith is a PhD researcher at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, affiliated with Wolfson College. Her work intersects geography, decolonial theory, and environmental risk, focusing on Indigenous Mapuche/Pewenche communities living with Copahue volcano on the Chile-Argentina border. She is part of the ERC IMAGINE project, which examines geographical imaginations in volcanic risk governance.
- Qualifications: PhD in Geography (ongoing), MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design, BSc in Architecture
- Prior Roles: Research Assistant at Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, NGO researcher in Venice, architectural assistant in the UK
Her research critiques institutional disaster risk reduction frameworks in postcolonial border contexts, emphasizing power dynamics and ontological con/disjunctures. She employs ethnographic methods with communities in Alto Biobío (Chile) and Caviahue-Copahue (Argentina), seeking to co-produce knowledge with Indigenous groups.
Key trends in her publications include volcanic risk governance, Indigenous-environment interactions, and the role of memory in disaster resilience. She contributes to transdisciplinary discourse through collaborations with volcanologists, policymakers, and local communities.
- Scientific Awards: CSAR PhD Student Award (2024), Il Premio per Venezia (2021), Basil Spence Prize (2016)
- Funding: ERC IMAGINE Studentship, William Vaughan Lewis Fund, Wolfson College Language Grant
Carolyn teaches undergraduate courses on environmental change, development theories, and political ecology. She supervises methods including ethnographic surveys, interviews, and participatory approaches.
