Our People, Centre for Sustainability

Our interdisciplinary teams include researchers from a wide range of specialties within the University of Otago, from other universities and research agencies, in New Zealand and internationally.

The Centre is committed to growing research capability in sustainability by supervising and supporting postgraduate students with aligned interests.

Research staff

Research Professor Caroline Orchiston

Director, Centre for Sustainability Research

Caroline's passion is for applied research that makes a difference to our society, particularly in building social capital through networks and connections, and working with communities to build resilience.

Email caroline.orchiston@otago.ac.nz

Professor Hugh Campbell

Hugh Campbell thumb Professor of Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology, School of Social Sciences

Hugh has research interests in the social and economic dynamics of 'greening' food systems, the politics of sustainability under neoliberal governance, achieving sustainability via audits, food waste, transitions in agriculture and food systems in New Zealand, and theories of global food regimes.

Email hugh.campbell@otago.ac.nz

Dr Lucia Danzi

Postdoctoral Fellow Lucia Danzi (160)

Lucia works at the Centre for Sustainability as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for Ngā Ngaru Wakapuke RA1 “The Future” and RA2 “The Forecast”. She has an interdisciplinary background in disaster risk and resilience, with a focus on tourism. Her research aims at enhancing societal resilience to multi-hazard risks and disasters and helping communities and the tourism sector to be better prepared for future disaster events.

Email lucia.danzi@otago.ac.nz

Dr Jen Purdie

Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainability Research

Jen works at the nexus of climate and energy. Her research interests include climate change impacts on the energy system, and climate forecasting on a range of timescales.

Email jen.purdie@otago.ac.nz

Dr Abha Sood

Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainability Research

Dr Sood is a highly experienced climate and renewable energy scientist with 27 years of expertise in wind modelling, climate change adaptation, and environmental research.

Research Professor Janet Stephenson

Postgraduate Co-ordinator

Janet is passionate about collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Her research interests include indigenous resource management; the interconnections between people and their local environments; and the role of individuals and organisations in the transition to a sustainable future.

Email janet.stephenson@otago.ac.nz

Research Professor Priscilla Wehi

Director, Te Pūnaha Matatini, Centre of Research Excellence

Priscilla a conservation biologist whose research has two main research themes: ecological knowledge; evolutionary ecology, and especially foraging behaviour, including isotope and nutrient analyses of diet, and socioecological relationships, including cultural environmental management.

Sidney Wong

Postdoctoral Fellow

Sidney is a postdoctoral fellow – part of the Modelling for Impact Hub within Te Pūnaha Matatini Centre of Research Excellence for Complex Systems, where his research focuses on enabling digital inclusion and social resilience through data and modelling.