Our People
Collective climate action
The Earth Edinburgh Initiative supports an inspiring community of academics from across the natural, physical, and social sciences, professional services staff, and students with a range of expertise essential in delivering on the vision of the Earth Initiative.
Our team
Our core team is responsible for developing and delivering on the vision of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative alongside key partners across the institution and globally.
Professor Margaret Graham, Director
Prof Margaret Graham is a globally recognised Environmental Geochemist with extensive senior leadership experience. She has served most recently as Director of Internationalisation in the School of Geosciences, and co-directs the International Institute for Environmental Studies.
Under Margaret’s leadership, EEI will work together with the three Colleges and key professional services to harness the University of Edinburgh’s collective strengths across Schools to unlock larger-scale benefits. In a sphere of ongoing commitment that deeply engages many students, staff, communities and collaborators, this includes realising high-impact opportunities, enabling more transformative partnerships across the UK and internationally, and strengthening the institution’s ability to secure external funding.
margaret.graham@ed.ac.uk
Lucy Young, Director of Operations
Working with the Director, Lucy supports the Edinburgh Earth Initiative’s planning process and leads the delivery and review of the strategic plan. She also provides leadership and management of the staff team, and directly delivers high priority programmes to support our core objectives for the University of Edinburgh.
l.young@ed.ac.uk
Annabel Cooper, Communications Co-ordinator
As part-time Communications Co-ordinator, Annabel works collaboratively with colleagues and key University of Edinburgh partners to lead the delivery of Edinburgh Earth Initiative’s communications strategy to amplify and showcase climate research and activity across the University of Edinburgh.
Annabel is also Communication Officer at the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, a leading centre for research, teaching, policy and practice for climate action, and a centre of excellence within the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh.
annabel.cooper@ed.ac.uk
Chloe Francis, Earth Fellows Programme Manager
As programme manager Chloe oversees the delivery of the Earth Fellows programme from developing projects and recruiting Fellows, right through to showcasing achievements at the end of Fellowships. She also develops the programme so that it improves year on year and contributes robustly to the Edinburgh Earth Initiative’s objectives.
Prior to joining the University, Chloe worked as a programme manager for science education programmes. She worked with primary and secondary teachers across the UK and Ireland to support and improve science teaching.
chloe.francis@ed.ac.uk
Dr Áine Ryan, Head of Research Engagement
As Head of Research Engagement, Áine works with colleagues across the University to strategically grow climate and sustainability related research activity, income, outputs, and impact. Our support for research will be focused on the strategic growth or expansion of research communities that are aligned to our core research themes, or that offer new connections across them.
Previously, Áine was based in Edinburgh Research Office, as International Research Funding Manager, where she led the University’s EU & International research funding portfolio team (formerly the ‘Europe Team’). Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh, Áine held research management roles at both Heriot-Watt University and the University of Glasgow. Before moving to a career in research management, she worked as a postdoc in the Department of Chemistry at the University of York.
aine.ryan@ed.ac.uk
Heather Stewart, Trusts & Foundations Manager
As Trusts & Foundations Manager, Heather works jointly across the Edinburgh Earth Initiative and the Development & Alumni team. Heather’s focus is to increase the amount of funding coming into the university specifically for climate, environment and sustainability related activities and for the Edinburgh Earth Initiative directly.
h.stewart@ed.ac.uk
Dr Kate Symons, Senior Research Partnership Manager – Scotland Beyond Net Zero
Kate Symons leads on the programme management of all aspects of the Scotland Beyond Net Zero partnership. Kate has experience working with the Scottish Government on evidence to support net zero and just transition policy, particularly focussing on local government, business and industry, and green economic growth.
Kate has a PhD in global development and has worked on research and teaching partnerships in Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique, as well as Scotland.
k.symons@ed.ac.uk
Earth Champions
Earth Champions are senior academic leaders who advance bold, transdisciplinary climate and environment research across the University of Edinburgh’s key challenge areas. They shape impactful research, build global partnerships, and support real-world solutions that contribute to a more sustainable and regenerative future.
Professor Ronan Bolton
Earth Champion – Clean Energy Systems
Ronan is Professor of Sustainable Energy, with visiting appointments at the University of Melbourne and the Leibniz Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (IRS) in Berlin. He holds a PhD in Energy Policy from the University of Leeds.
His work examines the interconnected policy, market and regulatory challenges of transforming carbon based energy systems. He has particular research interests in the areas of electricity market design and energy network regulation. He has studied the history and development of liberalisation processes in the energy sector and published a book on the history of electricity markets in Europe: Making Energy Markets: The Origins of Electricity Liberalisation in Europe (Palgrave Macmillan).
Professor Soledad Garcia Ferrari
Earth Champion – Sustainable Cities
Soledad is Programme Director for the MSc Urban Strategies and Design (currently on secondment).
Her research focuses on current processes of urban development and regeneration in Europe and across the Global South. She has extensive expertise in sustainable urban planning, with a focus on community-empowerment, participatory and co-creation in processes of production and management of urban areas. She leads action research focused on community-led climate change-related risk management in Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala.
Professor Louise Horsfall
Earth Champion – Circular Economy
Louise Horsfall is Professor of Sustainable Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh, Chair of Sustainable Biotechnology, and Head of the Institute of Quantitative Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology.
Her research uses Engineering Biology to make manufacturing more resource efficient and help move us towards a more sustainable, circular economy.
Prof Horsfall has published the most advanced bio-based process for lithium-ion battery recycling to date and authored, alongside leading battery experts, the roadmap for a sustainable circular economy in lithium-ion and future battery technologies. Her research has also combined the use of biosynthesised nanoparticles with cutting edge green chemistry techniques to demonstrate routes to improved catalysis.
2025/2026 Fellows
An integral part of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative community, Earth Fellows are undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students at the University of Edinburgh who work on impactful, short term, paid climate, environment and sustainability related projects and research.
Emma Ackerley
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Climate and Environment Research Communications
Emma is a Master’s student in Global Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh Business School.
As an Earth Fellow, Emma is working on sharing EEI’s activities with students, staff, and external audiences. Her project focuses on creating engaging digital content for EEI’s online channels, highlighting the Initiative’s activities and the University of Edinburgh’s climate and environment research and innovation.
Mariam Asghar
Postgradudate Earth Fellow: Forest and Peatland Net-Zero Travel Officer
Mariam Asghar is a fourth-year PhD student whose research examines the environmental sustainability of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. Her work explores how weak local political institutions shape environmental governance and how these dynamics affect local communities, particularly vulnerable groups such as women in developing regions.
She recently completed an SGSSS internship with the Scottish Government’s International Development Team and the CIMA Scottish Government Centre for Immigration and Population, where she contributed policy recommendations for international development initiatives in partner countries across Africa. Mariam has also taught within the School of Social and Political Science, delivering courses focused on environmental issues and sustainability.
As an Earth Fellow, Mariam is designing and delivering sustainable, net-zero travel options to the University’s Forest and Peatland sites. Her project aims to scale low-carbon travel solutions that increase access to these sites while minimising emissions.
Emma Brown
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Evidence from Polycultural Systems for Sustainable Agriculture
Emma is a master’s student at the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College, focusing on agricultural policy and how to support farmers in implementing regenerative practices. She has hands-on experience working across a range of farm systems, including vegetable, dairy, and meat production, and is deeply passionate about how food is grown and consumed.
As an Earth Fellow, Emma is developing a global database compiling evidence on polyculture yields and biodiversity outcomes. Her work involves extracting, categorising, and coding data from academic research, as well as producing a narrative synthesis that summarises key findings across the literature. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys hiking, skiing, and reading.
Douglas Copeman
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Climate Competencies in the Mathematics Curriculum
Douglas is a final-year Master of Mathematics student with a strong interest in fluid dynamics and numerical modelling, and is currently completing his dissertation on internal oceanic waves.
As an Earth Fellow, Douglas is developing data-driven teaching resources that support mathematics educators in integrating climate and sustainability concepts into their curricula. His project strengthens students’ modelling skills while exploring how mathematical teaching materials can be adapted for use across disciplines with differing pedagogical approaches.
Foteini Dervisi
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Climate Competencies in the Mathematics Curriculum
Foteini is a PhD researcher at the British Geological Survey and the University of Edinburgh. With a background in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, her work bridges machine learning and the geosciences. Her current research focuses on developing machine learning–based workflows for earthquake monitoring and forecasting and is funded by the European Commission through SPIN, a Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network.
She has experience across both academic and industry settings, with research spanning wireless communications, non-intrusive load monitoring, neural architecture search, and real-world AI applications.
As an Earth Fellow, Foteini is developing data-driven teaching resources that support mathematics educators in integrating climate and sustainability concepts into their curricula. Her project strengthens students’ modelling skills while exploring how mathematical teaching materials can be adapted across disciplines with differing pedagogical approaches.
Yvonne Fondo
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Climate and One Health Evidence
Yvonne is a public health and epidemiology researcher currently pursuing a PhD in Population Health Science at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on generating real-world evidence to inform cervical cancer prevention and control in low- and middle-income countries.
As an Earth Fellow, Yvonne is establishing a register of climate and One Health evidence syntheses, supporting interdisciplinary research that informs both public health and environmental policy.
Tom Harrison
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Quantifying Carbon Emissions from Anthropogenic Fires
Tom is a PhD candidate in the School of Engineering whose research focuses on transforming waste streams into high-value, sustainable materials. He is driven by a commitment to ambitious, justice-oriented climate action and the need for systemic change.
As an Earth Fellow, Tom is quantifying the carbon footprint of human-caused accidental fires, bringing scientific clarity to a largely overlooked source of urban emissions. His work advocates for solutions in which technology, policy, and economics are aligned rather than in competition.
Jeanne Michalon
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: FeME Education (Failure Mode 1)
Jeanne Michalon is a PhD researcher in the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Her doctoral research investigates the isolation of circulating tumour cells from blood samples using microfluidic devices for early cancer diagnosis. Trained in Mechanical Design Engineering at the University of Glasgow, she later specialised in medical device development, with expertise in applying computational fluid mechanics to device design.
As an Earth Fellow working with FeME, Jeanne supports initiatives that reimagine engineering education to address the climate crisis in more equitable and inclusive ways. Her work includes curating the FeME Tapestry, coordinating interdisciplinary student projects, and developing school-based challenge programmes to widen participation in engineering.
Howard Mwesigwa
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: On-Campus and Online Engagement with UN Climate and Environment Meetings
Howard Mwesigwa is an environmental lawyer and climate advocate pursuing an LLM in Global Environment and Climate Change Law, with a strong commitment to advancing equitable and sustainable solutions to the triple planetary crises. He has served as National Coordinator for the Parliamentarians for Climate Finance Project in Uganda and as Head of the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Department at Kalikumutima & Co. Advocates. He also leads the Climate Action Leadership Incubator Uganda, empowering young people to drive community-based climate action.
As an Earth Fellow, Howard is supporting the On-Campus and Online Engagement with COP project, which aims to strengthen meaningful student participation in UN climate and environment meetings, particularly the Conference of the Parties.
Sarka Ondrouchova
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Quantifying Carbon Emissions from Anthropogenic Fires
Sarka is pursuing an MSc in Data Science, Technology, and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh, with a foundation in ecology and environmental science. She is motivated to combine data-driven approaches with ecosystem knowledge to identify meaningful ways to reduce humanity’s environmental impact, with a particular focus on forest ecosystems and strengthening their resilience.
As an Earth Fellow, Sarka is working to quantify carbon emissions from anthropogenic fires, contributing to the development of more accurate methods for assessing the climate impacts of human-driven combustion events.
Rachel Orchard
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Digital Media Officer for the Centre for Sustainable Forests and Landscapes (CSFL)
Rachel is a PhD student in Forest and Peatland Restoration at the University of Edinburgh. An interdisciplinary researcher, she examines the social processes shaping woodland and peatland restoration projects in Scotland and is part of a cohort funded through the University’s Forest and Peatland Programme. She previously completed a practical forestry apprenticeship with Forestry and Land Scotland and worked as a social scientist on a range of research projects at Forest Research, bringing a strong practitioner–researcher perspective to her work.
As an Earth Fellow and Digital Media Officer at CSFL, Rachel draws on this combined experience to create strategic digital media content that shares updates, research outputs, and activities from the Sustainable Forests and Landscapes portfolio with students, staff, and external audiences, while building connections between industry, academia, and policy around sustainable land management in Scotland and internationally.
Simran Sonawalla
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Local Governance for Climate Action (IMPACT)
Simran is an early-career social psychology researcher with experience in participatory and comparative research on climate change, energy, and community well-being. Drawing on social and environmental psychology and sociology, her interdisciplinary work examines public responses to renewable energy projects and their impacts on everyday life. She is committed to bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise to develop fair, practical approaches to sustainability challenges at all levels.
Through her research on social experiences, discourse, and responses to just transitions to clean energy, Simran aims to support inclusive solutions that foster collective action and enhance community wellbeing for secure and sustainable futures.
As an Earth Fellow, Simran is examining interdisciplinary team dynamics within local climate governance. Her project focuses on Scottish local authorities, identifying best practices, behaviours, and policies that enable effective cross-disciplinary collaboration on climate action.
Katherine Taylor
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: University engagement with COP
Katherine is a PhD researcher within the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh researching compound drought and heatwave events and whether these can be reconstructed over the last millennium to understand future climate risks.
In her role as an Earth Fellow, Katherine will be ensuring that the University is able to engage effectively with both Biodiversity and Climate COP by identifying links between the University research areas and the priorities for both meetings.
Prior to starting her PhD, Katherine worked in a variety of roles across the Civil Service developing her interest in climate policy and governance.
Priya Thapliyal
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Environmental Crisis and Energy in the Himalayas
Priya is a PhD researcher in the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh. His doctoral research examines the entangled lives of humans and animals in a small hill-station marketplace in the central Himalayas of India. Working at the intersections of cultural geography, environmental anthropology, and multispecies studies, his work explores the everyday ethics and politics of sharing life and space on our more-than-human planet.
Priya is particularly interested in how contemporary socio-ecological transformations are reshaping ways of dwelling together in globalised, multicultural, and unequal societies.
As an Earth Fellow, Priya is contributing to the development of the “Crisis in the Third Pole” (CITP) analytical framework. His project examines how climate change and energy transition processes are reshaping ecological systems and social dynamics across the Himalayan region.
Marie-Louise Wöhrle
Postgraduate Earth Fellow: Social Dimensions of Environmental Biotechnology
Marie-Louise is a PhD student in medical and environmental anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, with a strong interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of anthropology, ecology, and microbiology. Their doctoral research examines how conservation initiatives and professionals in the UK encounter and understand infectious diseases and microbes.
As an Earth Fellow, Marie-Louise is investigating the social and political dimensions of environmental biotechnology. Their work critically examines claims made by scientists and policymakers about biotechnology’s potential, alongside social science perspectives on its broader societal implications.
Alumni
Meet our Earth Fellows Alumni – undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students at the University of Edinburgh who have worked on impactful, short term, paid climate related projects and research with Edinburgh Earth Initiative since 2022.
Find out more