Virginia Thomas-Pickles
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Contact details |
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Email: Virginia.Thomas-Pickles@warwick.ac.uk |
| LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/virginia-thomas-pickles |
Current PhD student
Biography
I am a second-year PhD candidate focussed on the potential of posthuman urban planning, particularly in relation to creating socially and ecologically equitable green infrastructure. Previously, I studied BASc Global Sustainable Development at the University of Warwick, culminating in my dissertation “In troubled waters: Assessing the impact of urbanisation on river ecosystems in the West Midlands”. After this, I studied MSc Environmental Management at Lancaster University, acquiring key skills in ecological surveying, GIS, and data analysis. My dissertation was entitled “Trees to beat the heat: How can small towns use trees to mitigate increasing temperatures experienced under climate change? A case study of Ambleside”.
More broadly, my research interests centre on the use of nature and transdisciplinary approaches to address challenges emerging in the Anthropocene. This spans human-environment interactions, (urban) ecology, nature-based solutions, geospatial data, and participatory methods. I am involved in the University of Warwick's Living LabLink opens in a new window, providing a hands-on way to conduct research that targets community research needs while engaging various stakeholders and sharing data and findings. I am also passionate about teaching and communicating sustainability challenges, and enhancing student and staff wellbeing.
Research overview
Examining the challenges and opportunities for creating ecologically just green infrastructure: A case study of Coventry. This transdisciplinary research project seeks to incorporate other-than-humans as active agents within urban practice to facilitate urban resilience. Grounded in ecological justice, this project aims to determine existing social and ecological injustice in green infrastructure policy and practice, and then consider interventions to overcome these challenges. This incorporates GIS, ecological surveys, framework analysis of policy literature, and practitioner interviews. The West Midlands, specifically Coventry, is utilised as a case study.
Teaching
- 2023-2024:
- 2024-2025:
Academic background
- PhD Global Sustainable Development - University of Warwick
- MSc Environmental Management - Lancaster University
- BASc (Hons) Global Sustainable Development - University of Warwick
Supervisors
- Dr Jess SavageLink opens in a new window - Department for Global Sustainable Development
- Dr Jonathan ClarkeLink opens in a new window - Department for Global Sustainable Development
- Prof Jon CoaffeeLink opens in a new window - Department of Politics and International Studies
Research interests
- Human-environment interactions
- Ecological justice
- Urban resilience
- Ecology
- Geospatial data
Funding and awards
- 2023-2027 - Leverhulme Trust Doctoral ScholarshipLink opens in a new window
- 2023 – Outstanding Overall MSc Performance and Outstanding Dissertation in the Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University
- 2022 – Best Overall Mark in Global Sustainable Development, University of Warwick
Publications
- Thomas-Pickles, V. (2024) Tackling the Tumbleweed: Reflections on increasing seminar engagement from an introverted GTA. Journal of PGR Pedagogic Practice, 4(1): 124-135. DOI: 10.31273/jppp.vol4.2024.1791.
- Kay, V. & Thomas-Pickles, V. (2021) Review of The Uninhabitable Earth: A Story of the Future. ReInvention 14(1). DOI: 10.31273/reinvention.v14i1.