Biography

Dr. Kathleen Galvin is Professor in Anthropology and a Senior Research Scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. Director. She has conducted interdisciplinary social-ecological systems research in the savannas of east Africa for over 30 years. Galvin has addressed issues of land use change, conservation, climate variability, diet and nutrition of Africa pastoralists and, resilience and adaptation strategies throughout the world’s drylands. She works with ecologists, modelers, remote sensing, GIS experts and local communities to understand human-ecology problems and interactions. The Kenyan work on environmental changes has resulted in an award-winning video. Her current research looks at local perceptions of climate and environmental changes and actions for viable solutions in Kenya. Another project focuses on understanding the trade-offs of community-based conservation for people and the environment throughout the African continent. Dr. Galvin is also Director of The Africa Center at Colorado State University. The Africa Center is a forum for university research on African sustainability. Dr. Galvin is co-Author of the American Anthropological Association Task Force Report on Global Climate Change. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Colorado Nature Conservancy and is a member the Leopold Advisory Board, Leopold Leadership Program, Stanford University. She is currently a lead author on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) where her focus is on Indigenous and Local Knowledge of BES. She is the 2016-17 Award Recipient, College of Liberal Arts, John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Award that recognizes a career of outstanding achievement in research, teaching, and service.