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Karen Fisher (geographer)

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Karen Fisher
AwardsDistinguished Service Award
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Auckland

Karen Fisher is a New Zealand human geographer, and is a full professor at the University of Auckland, specialising in freshwater and marine socio-ecological systems.

Academic career

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Fisher is Māori, and affiliates to Ngāti Maniapoto and Waikato-Tainui iwi. She completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Science at the University of Waikato, before moving to Australia to complete a PhD at the Australian National University.[1] Fisher then joined the faculty of the University of Auckland in 2008, rising to full professor in 2024.[2][3]

Fisher's research involves freshwater and marine socio-ecological systems. She is interested in sustainable development and environmental management, and has written about the importance of taking a 'mountains-to-the-sea' approach to environmental management in New Zealand, and why New Zealand should have a Ministry for the Ocean.[4][5][6] In 2015 Fisher and collaborator Meg Parsons were awarded a Marsden grant Rethinking the future of freshwater in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research project was aimed at understanding different cultural approaches to freshwater management, to enable better management approaches, and focused on working with Ngāti Maniopoto, local councils and landowners on the management of the Waipā river.[7][8][5]

Fisher is a synthesis strand leader in the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge.[9][10] She is also a part of the team, led by Lincoln Agritech, researching the effect of increased carbon dioxide levels on freshwater ecosystems through a $10 million MBIE Endeavour fund grant, Safeguarding Te Mana o te Awa o Waikato from emerging climatic pressures.[11][12] Fisher is one of the environmental governance experts involved in research on blue carbon legal frameworks led by Elizabeth MacPherson.[13]

Honours and awards

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Fisher was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal from the New Zealand Geographical Society in 2022.[14][15]

Selected works

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  • Kathryn K. Davies; Karen T. Fisher; Mark E. Dickson; Simon F. Thrush; Richard Le Heron (2015). "Improving ecosystem service frameworks to address wicked problems". Ecology and Society. 20 (2). doi:10.5751/ES-07581-200237. ISSN 1708-3087. Wikidata Q60020717.
  • Karen T. Fisher (10 February 2014). "Positionality, subjectivity, and race in transnational and transcultural geographical research". Gender. 22 (4): 456–473. doi:10.1080/0966369X.2013.879097. ISSN 0966-369X. Wikidata Q64173921.
  • Meg Parsons; Karen Fisher; Johanna Nalau (June 2016). "Alternative approaches to co-design: insights from indigenous/academic research collaborations". Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 20: 99–105. doi:10.1016/J.COSUST.2016.07.001. ISSN 1877-3435. Wikidata Q58731169.
  • Meg Parsons; Johanna Nalau; Karen Fisher; Cilla Brown (27 April 2019). "Disrupting path dependency: Making room for Indigenous knowledge in river management". Global Environmental Change. 56: 95–113. doi:10.1016/J.GLOENVCHA.2019.03.008. ISSN 0959-3780. Wikidata Q112606205.
  • Meg Parsons; Cilla Brown; Johanna Nalau; Karen Fisher (10 December 2017). "Assessing adaptive capacity and adaptation: insights from Samoan tourism operators". Climate and Development. 10 (7): 644–663. doi:10.1080/17565529.2017.1410082. ISSN 1756-5537. Wikidata Q58731112.
  • Meg Parsons; Johanna Nalau; Karen Fisher (22 February 2017). "Alternative Perspectives on Sustainability: Indigenous Knowledge and Methodologies". Challenges in Sustainability. 5 (1). doi:10.12924/CIS2017.05010007. ISSN 2297-6477. Wikidata Q64170225.

References

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  1. ^ University of Auckland. "Academic profile: Professor Karen Fisher". profiles.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Inaugural Lecture Series - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  3. ^ "Calendars 2020 - 2029 - The University of Auckland". www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  4. ^ Fisher, Karen (7 June 2023). "Our oceans are in deep trouble – a 'mountains to sea' approach could make a real difference". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Water, water everywhere - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  6. ^ Macpherson, Elizabeth; Fisher, Karen (26 July 2023). "New Zealand's maritime territory is 15 times its landmass – here's why we need a ministry for the ocean". The Conversation. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Marsden awards 2015". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Search Marsden awards 2008–2017". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Synthesis team". Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  10. ^ Whaanga-Schollum, Desna (July 2023). "Te Au o Te Moana - Voice of the Ocean: Karen Fisher". Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  11. ^ MBIE (2 October 2023). "Endeavour Fund: Successful 2023 Research Programmes". Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
  12. ^ Source: MBIE. "Karen Fisher ORCID profile". orcid.org. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Elizabeth Macpherson". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Geographer Awards & Fellows | New Zealand Geographical Society". www.nzgs.co.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  15. ^ "The 2022 NZ Geographical Society award winners announced". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
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