My doctoral research focuses on the differentiated socio-environmental outcomes of extreme weather events associated with climate change, and how they affect people and society. I look at experiences of loss emerging from climate change impacts in contexts of agrarian change, and specifically how these interact with struggles around land and the implications for agrarian climate justice.

Certain social groups in society are often identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change and disproportionately affected by losses and damages. What does it mean to be disproportionately affected by climate change? What is disproportionate and in relation to what? What groups are “bearing” these disproportionate impacts and why? I critically explore notions of loss and disproportionality in the context of agrarian change as a way to ground global discussions on loss and damage in the lived experiences of those affected. The research is interdisciplinary and case-based.

The PhD takes place in the context of a larger project named DICE - Recasting the disproportionate impacts of climate change extremes.

I am involved in thesis supervision for master's degree students and was responsible for the course "Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science: Concepts, Challenges and Approaches in Sustainability Studies" for exchange students at LUCSUS (Autumn 2021). Lecturing and seminars on sustainability, climate change, resilience, adaptation.

Prior to joining LUCSUS, Kelly was working as programme associate on policy issues and capacity building for climate action and implementation of the Paris Agreement outcomes related to climate adaptation. As part of one of her previous role, she worked on the coordination and contributed to the production of the UN Environment Adaptation Gap Report 2017 and 2018.