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 third-year PhD candidate in Global Sustainable Development, researching the creation and enhancement of socially and ecologically equitable green and blue spaces (e.g., parks, SuDS, street trees), specifically within urban landscapes.
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”.
My broader research interests centre on the importance of community involvement when defining and addressing (urban) challenges, in conjunction with the use of nature and transdisciplinary methodologies. This spans human-environment interactions, (urban) ecology, green infrastructure / nature-based solutions, geospatial data, and participatory methods.
Reflecting these interests, I am also involved with the ‘Green for all’ scheme led by Coventry City Council, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This includes developing maps of green and blue Infrastructure in Coventry, placing emphasis on citizen engagement using participatory mapping, among other methods. Additionally, I am involved with the University of Warwick's Living Lab, providing a hands-on way to conduct research that targets community research needs while engaging various stakeholders and sharing data and findings.
Research overview
Examining the challenges and opportunities for creating ecologically just green infrastructure: A case study of Coventry. This project explores how green infrastructure in Coventry demonstrates social and ecological (in)justices, and considers interventions to overcome challenges. Methods used include semi-structured practitioner interviews, framework analysis of policy literature, and GIS analysis.
Teaching
I am also passionate about teaching and communicating sustainability challenges. I have previously taught on the modules below, and was the co-creation officer for the research project 'Building Wellbeing Literacy: Co-creating Learning Opportunities for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Researchers'.
- 2023-2024:
- 2024-2025:
- GD311 The Energy TrilemmaLink opens in a new window (Term 1, Week 3)
- GD319 Sustainable CitiesLink opens in a new window (Term 2, Week 3)
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
Committee memberships
SCFS Education Committee
- PGR Student Representative (Oct 2025 – present)
SCFS Postgraduate Student-Staff Liaison Committee
- PGR Representative (Oct 2025 – present)
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.