Madelaine Joyce

Madelaine Joyce is a final-year PhD candidate in the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, supervised by Dr. Rachael Squire and Professor Peter Adey. Her research applies feminist geopolitical frameworks to analyze volumetric border landscapes, with a focus on the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). She examines how non-human actors (animals, elements) participate in border-making processes, challenging traditional geopolitical narratives.

Education includes:

• MSc Global Futures (Geopolitics and Security) - Distinction
• BSc Geography - First Class

Her interdisciplinary work bridges political geography, animal studies, and soundscapes. Research explores:

• Voluminous approaches to territory
• Assemblage theories in conflict zones
• Critical resilience studies in academia

Publications focus on two primary streams: 1) reimagining borderlands through multispecies ethnography and elemental geopolitics, and 2) critiquing neoliberal resilience narratives in higher education. Recent articles demonstrate methodological innovation through creative and auditory approaches to spatial research.

Awards:

• Alan Mountjoy Prize for academic excellence

Teaching and mentorship roles include:

• Guest lecturer for Political Geography (UG) and Geopolitics (PGT) courses
• Undergraduate study mentor
• Research administration for the Centre for GeoHumanities