Dr Katie Parsons is a Research Fellow in Children’s Geographies at Loughborough University. Her research focuses on children and young people’s relationships with environment, climate change and place, with particular interests in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, environmental education and participation.
Katie specialises in participatory action research (PAR), working with children, young people and communities to ensure their lived experiences and knowledge help shape research, policy and practice. Her work has taken place across the UK and internationally, including in Vietnam, Japan, Rwanda, Australia, Chile and Kenya, where she has also worked on the intersections between cultural heritage, place and climate change.
Before entering academia, Katie spent around 30 years working in social, youth and education sectors. This experience continues to shape her commitment to inclusive, community-engaged research and to ensuring that those most affected by environmental change have a meaningful role in shaping responses to it.
