Kieran James

I am a Flood CDT PhD student with the University of Southampton and the Environment Agency. I was born and raised in New York City. I then went to Canada to complete my Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Toronto in Architecture and Environmental Studies. After studying I began working for a community organization (the Oakwood Vaughan Community Organization -OVCO) coordinating their work on affordable housing advocacy and tenant rights. I then completed my Master of Science at the Politecnico di Milano in Urban Planning and Policy Design in Italy. During my studies I continued working for OVCO and was able to incorporate my growing experience in the non-profit sector around community based housing work into my academic research. This resulted in my final thesis focused on Public Housing and Flooding in Italy. While I had been passionate about community level flood response since living through Hurricane Sandy in New York, this research cemented my passion for flood work and its connection to social and environmental justice work. I am to bring this passion, research, and my community based work experience into my research with the Flood CDT to develop work on how marginalized communities impacted by flood risk should be collaborated with in the development of flood solutions. When not working, I enjoy watching birds by the water, identifying plants, and exploring new areas of the city.