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UCL WRC's current research students and their ongoing projects
 | Nick Buchan Email: nicholas.buchan.22@ucl.ac.uk I am a PhD student at UCL’s Science and Technology Studies department where my research focuses on technological hazards, accidents and early warning. Previously, I completed an MSc in International Development at Birkbeck College, University of London and I have a BA from Oxford University. Outside academia, I have worked in the fields of risk management, development and international trade. |
 | Rachel Hunt PhD Researcher in Environmental Science (Department of Geography) Profile: https://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/people/research-students/rachel-hunt Rachel is an Environmental Science PhD Researcher in the Department of Geography, her studentship funding is provided by the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership. Rachel’s research focusses on New Zealand’s tsunami warning system, exploring considerations for enhancing hazard communication and response. Her research seeks to understand how official warnings are decided upon and communicated and the ways in which warnings can be tailored through education and engagement measures to improve tsunami awareness and preparedness. Rachel’s research aims to improve the understanding of and responses to official tsunami warnings and natural tsunami warning signs, contributing to the development of tsunami resilient communities in New Zealand and beyond. |
 | Mhari Gordon Email: mhari.gordon.21@ucl.ac.uk Mhari Gordon has strong research interests in natural hazards, disasters, displaced populations, and risk communication. In October 2021, she started her PhD study at UCL’s Department of Risk and Disaster Reduction and in September 2022 joined the UCL Warning Research Centre. She has been active in public engagement on her research, including presentations, academic posters, and popular science blog posts. Alongside the PhD, she has been a teaching assistant in RDR's new BSc in Global Humanitarian Studies programme. In July 2022, Mhari achieved the status of Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of her performance and contribution to teaching and supporting learning. Prior to starting the PhD, Mhari completed an MSc in Risk (Distinction) at the University of Durham's Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience and a BA in Geography (2.1) at the University of Exeter. She also has work experience as an Intern in the Information Unit at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and as an environmental consultant trainee. |
  | Molly Urquhart Email: molly.urquhart.24@ucl.ac.uk Molly is an interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in environmental science, volcanology, and Science and Technology Studies. She earned her Bachelor of Science Honours degree from Queen’s University, Canada, majoring in environmental science. Her senior dissertation examined the role of ecological restoration in natural heritage planning in Southern Ontario. Following this, Molly pursued her master’s degree in the Earth and Planetary Sciences Department at McGill University, Canada, where she was a member of the Stix Volcanology and Applied Remote Sensing Lab. Her master’s thesis, “Peering into the Depths: New Insights into the Unstable Eastern Crater Area of Poás Volcano, Costa Rica,” utilized a range of geological analysis techniques, including CO2 flux measurements, thermal infrared drone imaging, remote sensing software, and spectroscopy, to investigate the eastern crater of Poás Volcano following a phreatic eruption. Currently, Molly is a doctoral researcher at University College London’s Department of Science and Technology Studies. Her research focuses on enhancing global preparedness for natural multi-hazard events by leveraging the volcanological community's experience with Volcanic Alert Level Systems (VALSs). Key objectives of her research include improving existing VALS systems globally, developing best practices for effective hazard communication, and contributing to the design and implementation of more resilient early warning systems and alert level systems for diverse natural multi-hazards occurring over different geographical and temporal scales. |