Gemma Smith

Gemma Smith holds a joint appointment as Assistant Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy and Assistant Research Professor at the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, both at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on collaborative governance, environmental policy, and transboundary water resource management, with an emphasis on North American borderlands. She earned a PhD in Environment and Resources (with a Minor in Civil and Environmental Engineering) from Stanford University in 2023, alongside advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Stanford’s International Policy program.

Her interdisciplinary work integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze governance processes, policy outcomes, and environmental sustainability. Key areas include climate adaptation strategies, stakeholder legitimacy in water governance, and policy networks in transboundary watersheds. Prior to academia, she worked in international investment management and holds a Bachelor’s in English Literature and Spanish from the University of Exeter (2013).

Research highlights include studies on transboundary river basins, common-pool resource theory application, and sustainability assessments in agricultural desalination projects. Her publications span journals such as Policy Studies Journal and Environmental Science & Policy, emphasizing causal linkages between institutional design and environmental outcomes.

Gemma’s educational background bridges environmental science, engineering, and political science, enabling her to address complex sustainability challenges at the intersection of technical and social systems. She has contributed to policy frameworks for integrating climate data into water planning and advancing inclusive decision-making processes in resource management.