UBC's Disaster Resilience Research Network (DRRN) is happy to welcome Taylor Legere and Charlotte Milne, who will work with the network throughout 2023 as a part of the inaugural Disaster Resilience Graduate Fellowship.
Taylor and Charlotte will support the DRRN by analyzing the state of disaster research in British Columbia. They will work together to conduct a transdisciplinary literature review about disaster preparedness, response, and governance in British Columbia from a hybrid socio-technical perspective. This review will provide a strong foundation to develop research questions and methodologies which can be implemented through external grant applications and will ultimately be revised as a publication in an appropriate transdisciplinary journal. In addition to the literature review, the fellows will work with the network co-leads and coordinator to develop a framework for graduate student engagement in the DRRN, as well as supporting the seminar series and other network activities.
Both Charlotte and Taylor have a strong interest and background in disaster/resilience studies and bring their unique experiences and perspectives to the network.
Taylor Legere is currently enrolled in the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the University of British Columbia. Her primary research interest is how to realize the climate adaptation benefits of protecting and restoring natural areas in cities without gentrifying communities that are already vulnerable to climate change. Previously, Taylor completed a Bachelor of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies and Business at the University of Waterloo, where she studied the intersections of climate resilience and human rights, interpersonal conflict resolution, and sustainability. Professionally, Taylor managed the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation (Intact Centre), an applied research centre providing guidance to Canadians on how to reduce flood, wildfire, and extreme heat risks. In this role she supported a variety of research, operations, and design projects to help the Intact Centre disseminate research on climate adaptation. As one of the new Graduate Fellows at the Disaster Resilience Research Network, Taylor looks forward to continuing to research disaster resilience in British Columbia.
Charlotte Milne is a PhD student in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, supervised by Professor Stephanie Chang. From Aotearoa (New Zealand), she grew up surrounded by natural hazards and undertook a BSc in Geography and Earth Sciences before specializing in Fluvial Geomorphology for her MSc, looking at impacts of the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake on river systems. For her PhD she is now interested in how we map and understand river flooding, looking at new ways to weave Indigenous values and knowledges into the early stages of flood assessment. Charlotte is excited to bring her past hazard and disaster research experience to her fellowship role with the DRRN.