Gail Hochachka, University of British Columbia

Gail Hochachka is a postdoctoral research fellow at UBC studying urban climate action from a transdisciplinary perspective as part of the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) project.

As the UC3 postdoctoral fellow at MéridaLabs, Gail will be studying how to accelerate climate action among multiple stakeholders in situations where transformational changes are needed to reach climate targets. By ‘flipping’ the technology innovation process, this research will specifically seek to understand the contexts for which low-carbon technologies are being designed, to better connect with local needs and to support more effective uptake of actions. This will include a focus on innovative climate change communications that consider local perceptions and meanings about climate change and can help broaden the social mandate for climate action. Her work will be carried out in close partnership with municipal and academic partners. 

Prior to this, Gail did her PhD research at the University of Oslo (UiO) with a focus on climate change adaptation. Her study examined how adaptation could better integrate the human dimensions of climate change and be carried out in a transformative manner. Her field work involved a global coffee value chain with producers in Guatemala through to buyers and retailers in North America. Gail also has substantial experience working in sustainable development in Latin America and Africa, experimenting with pathways to transformative change. This work was largely carried out with non-profit organizations with partners in the global South, but also included several research projects funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre. Over this time, she also gained academic teaching experience on sustainability topics at the graduate and undergraduate levels at John F. Kennedy University, Royal Roads University and at the University of Oslo.

Research Interests: Human dimensions research in climate change adaptation; the dynamics of meaning-making; transformations to sustainability; transdisciplinary and integrative frameworks; climate action.