Kathryn McConnell

Kathryn McConnell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts. She holds affiliations with the UBC Centre for Migration Studies and the UBC Disaster Resilience Research Network. Her research examines the social dimensions of climate change, with a focus on wildfire impacts, migration patterns, and adaptations in the built environment.

Education includes:

• Ph.D., Yale University School of the Environment (2022)
• M.E.Sc., Yale University School of the Environment (2017)
• B.A., Wesleyan University (2013)

Her research program centers on three interconnected areas: (1) Environment-migration relationships, particularly how extreme weather influences migration dynamics; (2) Changes to housing and infrastructure in response to climate hazards; and (3) The politics of development under climate change. She employs mixed methodologies with emphasis on spatial analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration, focusing primarily on wildfires and rural communities.

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on climate migration patterns (2024), wildfire recovery processes (2024), and climate adaptation policy (2024), with consistent attention to rural community impacts across her work. Methodologically, her articles show increasing sophistication in geospatial analysis and large dataset utilization.

Major recognitions include:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Fellowship
• U.S. National Science Foundation Fellowships (multiple programs)
• NASA Climate Change Research Initiative Fellowship

She leads research projects through affiliations with the Centre for Migration Studies and Disaster Resilience Research Network, focusing on equitable climate adaptation strategies. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University's Population Studies and Training Center.