Karen M. O’Neill

Karen M. O’Neill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Rutgers University. Her research focuses on how policies governing land and water influence government authority, expert roles, and societal well-being. She studies urban biodiversity planning, flood control, coastal vulnerability, and disaster recovery. O’Neill has co-authored books on U.S. river flood control, Hurricane Katrina's racial impacts, and post-Sandy institutional adaptation. She contributed to international coastal resilience projects, including Rebuild by Design (a finalist) and Changing Course (a winner in Louisiana’s coastal restoration initiative).

Her work bridges environmental sociology, policy analysis, and disaster studies, emphasizing sociopolitical dimensions of environmental governance. Collaborations in global competitions highlight her applied research in sustainability and resilience.