Assistant Professor, University College Dublin
Ad Astra Fellow in Environmental Politics, School of Politics and International Relations (SPIRe)
Ph.D. in Political Science
I am a political scientist whose primary research interests lie at the intersection of climate change and conflict. Some of my work focuses specifically on climate-related issues and some on conflict dynamics, but the majority addresses how the two interact. My research explores the mechanisms linking environmental and political instability as well as the responses to these intersecting dilemmas. More broadly, I examine how global crises (including climate shocks, migration shocks, conflict, and economic disruption) shape vulnerability, and I am deeply invested in strategies for promoting both sustainable development and a sustainable peace. I also bring a robust background in data science, research methodology, and computational social science.
Recent News
Event19–20 October 2026
Peace and Sustainability Working Group, Notre Dame Dublin
Kasia Houghton and I are presenting “Profit through Peace” at the PNAS special issue workshop at O’Connell House, Notre Dame Dublin.
See the programmeEvent13–14 October 2026
Presenting at the CCEW Symposium, Berlin
Kasia Houghton and I are presenting “Profit through Peace” at the Center for Crisis Early Warning symposium, “Conflict Early Warning in Times of Power Competition: Limits and Challenges.”
See the symposiumEvent1 October 2026
CADRE at the Earth Institute coffee morning
I introduced CADRE at the UCD Earth Institute’s coffee morning for its new Strategic Interdisciplinary Award projects, alongside BRIDGE and LEAF.
See the eventArticle25 September 2026
New article in Environmental Research Letters
Regional El Niño patterns shape how wheat-flour prices respond to floods, droughts, and storms.
Read the articleArticle20 September 2026
New article in Global Environmental Politics
A difference-in-differences study of how hydropower development shapes conflict.
Read the articleArticle10 September 2026
New article in Civil Wars
With Kasia Houghton, on how mediators who also fund rebel groups shape conflict resolution.
Read the articleEvent3–6 September 2026
Two papers at APSA 2026
I presented work on climate law adoption (with Tahlia Mullen) and rare earths and armed conflict (with Päivi Lujala).
See the APSA meetingAward1 September 2026
Ad Astra fully funded PhD studentship (€116,000)
A fully funded UCD Ad Astra PhD studentship for 2026–2030, supporting a doctoral student I supervise.
See my grantsArticle20 August 2026
New article in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Floods and storms raise battle events, and food price instability amplifies the effect.
Read the articleBlogAugust 2026
Student blog: Implementation Over Urgency
What 2,170 parliamentary speeches reveal about climate law in Ireland, a Connected_Politics Lab project I designed and supervised.
Read the blogAwardAugust 2026
CADRE named an Earth Institute Strategic Priority
CADRE won a €10,000 UCD Earth Institute Strategic Interdisciplinary Award and was named a Strategic Priority for 2026–27.
See the Earth Institute profileBook24 July 2026
Book contract with Cambridge University Press
The Press Syndicate approved my book, The Effects of Climate Change We Don’t Count: Migration, Cities, and Hidden Instability.
See the bookNew role15 July 2026
ESOC lead for eEarth, with the International Crisis Group
I was named the Empirical Studies of Conflict (ESOC) lead for eEarth, Crisis Group’s early-warning platform for resource-related conflict risk, in ESOC’s collaboration with the International Crisis Group.
About eEarthReport13 May 2026
MEND policy brief: Mediation in 2025
With Mateja Peter, Kasia Houghton, and Sanja Badanjak, I track mediation across overlapping conflict systems in 2025 using MEND data.
Read it on PeaceRepReport13 May 2026
MEND policy brief: Current Trends in Mediation
Key findings from MEND on crowded mediation environments, with Mateja Peter, Kasia Houghton, and Sanja Badanjak.
Read the briefEvent1 April 2026
Connected_Politics Lab seminar on climate finance
With Andreas Hoepner and Diego P. Guisande, on how disasters, corporate lobbying, and climate policy shape market responses.
See the seminarAward1 April 2026
FCDO funding, 2026–27 (£30,000)
Second year of FCDO funding for Global Fragmentation and Conflict Management, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
See my grantsEvent12 March 2026
Speaking at PeaceRep’s closing conference
I spoke on the Mediation Futures and PeaceTech panel at “Time to Make a Change” in Edinburgh, marking five years of PeaceRep research.
Read about the eventEvent5–6 March 2026
WG1 Workshop on Climate Change, Natural Resources, and Conflict, Milan
I presented my paper with Päivi Lujala at this COST Action Peace Research Community Europe workshop at the Politecnico di Milano.
Read about the workshopEvent30 January 2026
Workshop on EU climate policy and politics, UCD
Katelyn Nutley and I presented our work on environmental protest and climate policy at “From Promise to Practice: Decoding EU Climate Policy and Politics.”
See the programmeEvent15–17 January 2026
Presenting at SPSA, New Orleans
The Southern Political Science Association annual meeting, including its Conference-within-a-Conference on crises and disasters.
See the meetingArticle17 December 2025
New article in Climate Policy
With Tofigh Maboudi, on when climate policies are adopted and how timing shapes adaptive resilience.
Read the articleEvent11 November 2025
SPIRe Early Career Researcher Forum talk
I spoke at UCD SPIRe’s Early Career Researcher Forum on navigating the current academic job market.
See the forumEvent8 October 2025
SPIRe Seminar, University College Dublin
I presented “From Disaster to Dispute in the DRC: Climate’s Role in Resource Wars.”
See the seminar seriesArticle23 September 2025
New article in Political Research Quarterly
With Tofigh Maboudi, on whether constitutional rights shape climate litigation outcomes.
Read the articleArticle22 September 2025
New article in the Journal of Peace Research
With Santiago Sosa and Molly Melin, on economic provisions in peace agreements and the durability of peace.
Read the articleEvent10 September 2025
Presenting at PECE, Vancouver
The Political Economy of Climate and Environment conference, at Simon Fraser University ahead of APSA.
See the conferenceNew role5 September 2025
Joining UCD as Assistant Professor and Ad Astra Fellow
I joined UCD’s School of Politics and International Relations as Assistant Professor in Environmental Politics and Ad Astra Fellow.
Read the SPIRe welcomeAward1 September 2025
Ad Astra Fellow Research Award, UCD (€25,000)
My UCD Ad Astra Fellowship in Environmental Politics began, with a €25,000 research award for 2025–2030.
About the Ad Astra programmeArticle26 August 2025
New article in npj Climate Action
Isolating the climate adaptation measures that matter in New England.
Read the articleNew role22 July 2025
Research Fellow, Centre for Global Law and Governance
I joined the University of St Andrews Centre for Global Law and Governance as a Research Fellow.
See my CGLG profileBlog2025
Interactive: Bridging the Distance
An interactive data story on geography and conflict mediation, with web and visualizations by Tomas Vancisin.
Explore the interactiveEvent24 June 2025
LSE Sustainable Social Policy Workshop
The inaugural workshop of LSE’s Sustainable Social Policy cluster.
See the workshopArticle11 June 2025
New article in the Review of International Political Economy
From garments to grievances: urban growth and economic shocks in rapidly industrialising economies.
Read the articleEvent7–8 April 2025
Poster at PolMeth Europe, LSE
LSE Methodology recorded my poster walkthrough on the geography of conflict mediation.
Watch the poster walkthroughNew role1 April 2025
Data Manager, MEND
I became Data Manager for the Mediation Event and Negotiators Database (MEND) at Global PeaceHub, University of St Andrews.
See the MEND teamAward1 April 2025
FCDO funding, 2025–26 (£40,000)
Funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for Global Fragmentation and Conflict Management, 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.
See my grantsReport16 January 2025
PeaceRep report: Conflict in a Warming World
How climate shocks shape rebel demands for water, land, and resources, and whether peace agreements respond.
Read the reportEvent19 November 2024
Anthropocene lecture, University of Basel
“Anthropocene Mobilities: Navigating the Complexities of Climate-Induced Migration,” in the Institute for European Global Studies lecture series.
See the eventReport15 November 2024
PeaceRep report: Semi-Automated Coding for Conflict Mediation Research
How I built the semi-automated pipeline behind the MEND database, in PeaceRep’s Peace Analytics Series.
Read the reportArticle30 October 2024
New article in Environmental Policy and Governance
With Tofigh Maboudi, on vulnerability, climate laws, and adaptation in the Middle East and North Africa.
Read the articleNew role1 October 2024
Visiting Fellow, University of Basel (₣11,985)
I joined the Institute for European Global Studies at the University of Basel as a funded Visiting Fellow, working on hydropower development and conflict.
Read the announcementEvent27 June 2024
Presenting at CARMA 2024, Valencia
The 6th International Conference on Advanced Research Methods and Analytics.
See the conferenceEvent18–21 June 2024
CEEISA-ISA Joint Conference, Rijeka
The joint CEEISA and International Studies Association conference, “Knowing the Global-Local.”
See the conferenceBlog5 June 2024
IOM blog: Stitching a Sustainable Future
Policy for youth, migration, and climate change in Bangladesh’s garment industry, for IOM UN Migration.
Read the blogNew role22 January 2024
Joining PeaceRep as a postdoctoral fellow
I started as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with PeaceRep at the University of St Andrews.
See my PeaceRep profileAward11 October 2023
Funding to forecast fisheries conflict ($20,800)
With the University of Denver and World Wildlife Fund, on a Minerva Research Initiative-funded project forecasting fishery-related conflict under climate change.
See the project appBlog20 August 2023
Case summary: Montenegro v. Ashcroft
A case summary for the Earth Refuge Legal Database.
Read the summaryBlog24 May 2023
Op-ed: Rising Tides and Sudden Surprises
The two faces of climate displacement, on Medium.
Read the op-ed