Karen Bakker

Dr. Karen Bakker was a renowned Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where she held the Canada Research Chair in Water. Her career spanned over two decades, marked by groundbreaking research in environmental governance, water security, and digital environmentalism. She earned her PhD from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Bakker founded the Program on Water Governance at UBC, focusing on large dam impacts, Indigenous water sovereignty, and neoliberal natures. Her award-winning books, including The Sounds of Life (2021) and the forthcoming Gaia’s Web, explored intersections of technology, ecology, and conservation. She held prestigious fellowships such as the Guggenheim and Trudeau, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Beyond academia, she championed equity initiatives, including leading UBC’s pay equity process, and engaged in public advocacy through TED Talks and media. Her work emphasized interdisciplinary approaches, bridging science, policy, and community action.

Education:

• PhD in Geography, University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar)

Research Interests:

• Environmental perception and scientific world-making
• Water governance and Indigenous sovereignty
• Digital technologies in conservation
• Neoliberalism’s environmental impacts

Awards & Recognition:

• John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (2022)
• Trudeau Fellowship (2017)
• SSHRC Connection Award
• Fellow, Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars

Advising & Grants:

Bakker supervised numerous graduate students and led high-impact research projects like the Smart Earth Project. She secured grants for studies on dam impacts (e.g., Site C Dam), water privatization, and transboundary governance. Her work influenced policy through submissions to regulatory bodies and media outreach.

Labs & Teams:

• Program on Water Governance (UBC)
• Smart Earth Project