Exeter researcher awarded honorary doctorate

A University of Exeter researcher will receive an honorary doctorate from a leading Dutch university.

Professor Katrina Brown will receive the award from Wageningen University on 9 March as part of its centenary celebrations.

Professor Brown is an environmental social scientist, specialising in how individuals and communities in developing countries cope with climate change.

Three other researchers will also receive honorary doctorates – Swedish ecologist Carl Folke, Russian evolutionary biologist Eugene Koonin and Chinese plant scientist Fusuo Zhang – and they will each give a talk about their work on 9 March.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be awarded an honorary doctorate from Wageningen University,” said Professor Brown.

“It is wonderful to have my work in environmental social science recognised in this way by an international leading university.

“Wageningen has always been at the forefront of interdisciplinary research linking environment and development.

“This work directly addresses some core global challenges around environmental change, poverty, inequality and food security.”

She added: “I’m honoured to be only the fourth woman to be awarded an honorary doctorate in Wageningen’s 100-year history.”

A total of 58 honorary doctorates have been bestowed by Wageningen University between 1918 and 2018.