Kathryn Harrison

Kathryn Harrison is a Professor of Political Science and McLean Family Chair in Canadian Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Department of Political Science within the Faculty of Arts. She holds a PhD from UBC and prior degrees from the University of Western Ontario and MIT. Her expertise spans climate policy, federalism, and comparative public policy, with a focus on Canada and the United States. Harrison has advised governments and served in leadership roles, including Acting Dean of UBC Arts (2016–2017) and roles on editorial boards of journals like Canadian Public Policy.

Her research focuses on environmental and climate policy, particularly federalism challenges in Canada. Key works include Passing the Buck (1996) and Global Commons, Domestic Decisions (2010). She has published in top journals like Nature Climate Change and Science, addressing carbon taxation, supply-side climate policies, and climate governance.

Harrison’s awards include Fulbright Fellowships, the UBC Killam Research Fellowship, and the KD Srivastava Prize. Her op-eds and media engagements highlight climate policy debates, such as carbon tax opposition and LNG subsidies. She supervises graduate students on topics like municipal climate policy and renewable energy.

Her work bridges academia and policy, contributing to Canada’s climate strategy through roles on the BC Climate Solutions Council and the Canadian Climate Institute’s mitigation advisory committee.