Department
of Civil,
Environmental
and Geomatic
Engineering

Primary
Investigator

Dr Bell is a lecturer in Environmental Engineering. Since joining UCL in 2005 she has been involved in a number of interdepartmental research initiatives. She is co-director of the UCL Environment Institute with special responsibility for water research and is a member of the advisory panel for the UCL Urban Laboratory. She has followed an interdisciplinary career path beginning with undergraduate degrees in chemistry and environmental engineering, followed by 3 years working as an engineer in an aluminium smelter while she completed her Master of Environmental Management. Her PhD in Sustainability and Technology Policy addressed the problem of developing new methodologies for sustainability research. Her current research interests lie in the relationships between society and technology as they impact on the sustainability of urban wate18 April, 2008re all co-supervised by colleagues from other departments and from industrial partner organisations (eg. physical and human geography, development studies, Thames Water, Arup).

In 2006 she attended the EPSRC ‘Emergence’ Sandpit and was part of two successful project groups – she is primary investigator for ‘Emerging Sustainability’ (EP/E062075/1) and is co-investigator for ‘Biological metaphors and crisis’ (EP/E062865/1). Both of these projects involve working collaboration across several disciplines and institutions. She is director of the MSc in Environmental Systems Engineering which includes managing funding support provided by the EPSRC Knowledge Transfer Account to build industrial collaborations.

Dr Bell’s research expertise in interdisciplinary methodologies and sustainability, her track record of collaboration with industry and colleagues working in different disciplines, her central role in interdepartmental research initiatives at UCL and her management skills provide her with a strong background for leading this programme.