Kelsea Best is an Assistant Professor for Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and the City of Regional Planning at Knowlton School of Architecture. Dr. Best’s research focuses on understanding how climate change interacts with human societies and infrastructure, how people may adapt to climate change effects, and how climate adaptation measures can be designed and implemented in a just and equitable way. Her work is highly interdisciplinary and strives to connect methods, disciplines, and researchers from across geographies and fields. Dr. Best’s research is grounded in data-driven methods including machine learning and agent-based modeling, but also seeks to advance conventional modeling approaches by expanding the role of personal narrative and community participation in informing computational models.
Professor Best shared her answers with the Institute for Population Research (IPR) to the following questions about her career, research interests, and the impact of her work.
Q. What is your position, and what department/division/college are you in?
I am an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic and City and Regional Planning in the College of Engineering.
Q. How long have you been at OSU, and how long have you been connected to IPR?
I have been at OSU for two years, and I would say that I have been connected to IPR since very close to day one!
Q. Describe your main research interests in a few sentences.
My research focuses on understanding the connections between climate change and natural hazards, infrastructure, and community well-being. I am broadly interested in thinking about how climate adaptation can be designed and implemented with a focus on equity.
Q. Which of your current projects are you most excited about?
I am very excited about a project that I am working on focused on understanding LGBTQIA+ experiences of climate-related events and climate resilience across Ohio. This work is in partnership with Dr. Smitha Rao in the College of Social Work and Dr. Sandy Wong in the Department of Geography and funded by the Sustainability Institute. We have surveyed close to 1,000 LGBTQIA+ adults across Ohio and are in the process of conducting focus groups in Franklin County. There is so little data available on LGBTQIA+ individuals and their experiences, that I am excited to contribute to this area of study.
Q. What drew you to IPR, and how do you benefit from your involvement with IPR?
My work is highly interdisciplinary but, ultimately, centers people. Whether this is understanding climate-related migration decisions and displacements or thinking about how renters recovery after a disaster, people are at the heart of my research. I love being connected to the diverse group of scholars at IPR, where I can learn about new methods and research.
Q. What has been the biggest impact of your work, or what do you hope for future impacts for your work? (This could be research impact, impact on policy or practice, impact on students, administrative impact, etc.
I recently co-authored a book called “Migration and Displacement in a Changing Climate” which is a synthesis of the most up to date research on climate-related migration and displacement. I have already heard from other scholars that they intend to use the book in their classes, which is very exciting. I hope that the book has significant impact by helping others learn about this important topic
Q. How did you come to this career and to your research area?
I had a windy path to get to where I am. In undergrad, I majored in Chemical and Biological Engineering, but I quickly found that I was much more excited by classes that I was taking for my Environmental Studies minor. I was especially interested in thinking more deeply about how the environment impacts human well-being and how the effects of climate change contribute to injustices across scales. In grad school, I knew that I wanted to do research on what we call “coupled human-natural systems”, and my dissertation work focused on climate-related migration in coastal Bangladesh. From there, my work has expanded to other topics and geographies, but always with a focus on connections between the environment, people, and equity.
Q. How does your personal or professional background shape the topics you are interested in or the way you do research?
My work is very interdisciplinary, and I think this is motivated by my own diverse background. As I mentioned, I studied Chemical and Biological Engineering in college with a minor in Environmental Studies, but I took classes in history, creative writing, philosophy, and other departments. In grad school, I was in an Earth and Environmental Sciences program, but I had collaborations with psychologists, engineers, political scientists, and sociologists. My postdoc was in a Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, and now I have a joint appointment in CEGE and City and Regional Planning. I have always felt most excited by research that crosses disciplinary boundaries and connects different ways of knowing. I believe that we can achieve the most exciting and useful insights to complex problems by using different methodologies, frameworks, and ways of thinking.
Q. What motivates you to do what you do?
I think that climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing the world today. As the effects are increasingly being felt by communities, proactive adaptation is necessary. I am motivated by trying to contribute to knowledge to inform community-based and equitable adaptation.
Q. What kinds of collaborative research have you been involved in? Tell us about some of the most productive collaborative relationships you’ve had, or share some of the benefits you see to collaboration.
All of my research is very collaborative, and I enjoy working with large, diverse, and cross-disciplinary teams. As I mentioned, I am currently excited by a collaboration with Dr. Smitha Rao and Dr. Sandy Wong (an IPR affiliate) looking at LGBTQIA+ climate resilience and perceptions across Ohio
Q. What kinds of service to the field are you involved in? How does this service work fit into your professional goals/trajectory?
I am currently the Chair of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Justice, Equity and Risk Specialty Group (JERSG). This service aligns well with my research and allows me to make connections with others in the field with similar interests. I also regularly review for journals or serve on grant evaluation panels. Service is an important part of my goals because it helps me stay connected with the professional community, build a strong network, and help move the field forward.