Dr Jenna Sutherland is a lecturer in Physical Geography and Environmental Science and teaches on the BSc Geography and BSc Geography and Environmental Sciences courses. Jenna loves spending time outdoors, hiking, running, and swimming - hobbies that nurtured her interest in the natural environment and led to an academic career. Jenna’s research focusses on environmental change in polar and alpine regions, with a particular interest in the reconstruction of glaciers through time to inform present and future glacier behaviour.

Tell us a bit about you and what led you to working with the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing

I began lecturing at Leeds Beckett almost exactly 10 years to the day since starting my undergraduate degree in Physical Geography at the University of Sheffield. My undergraduate experience piqued my interest in past environments, and I went on to complete an MSc in Quaternary Science at Royal Holloway, University of London. Not quite done with education yet, I decided to settle back up north and undertake a PhD in glacial geomorphology at The University of Leeds.

As a fresh-faced doctorate I then joined the School of the Built Environment, Engineering and Computing during a phase to expand their Geography, Planning and Housing team in creating two new BSc degree programmes in Physical Geography and Environmental Science. I joined in the midst of remote working and online teaching in January 2021, and it has been a steep learning curve ever since. It’s been great to start with a blank canvas and to develop a brand-new curriculum which will hopefully go from strength to strength and leave a lasting legacy.

What makes you passionate about your subject area and why is it important?

As a Geographer, I’m curious about the world I live in and I’ve always had a desire to learn more about the way in which it works. I feel extremely privileged to have visited some fantastic places throughout my academic career from alpine landscapes in New Zealand to arctic winter in Svalbard. Experiencing these remote locations makes me appreciate the diverse environments that our planet can sustain as well as how fragile and sensitive they are to change. I recognize that the way in which we interact with our planet matters. There’s no doubt we might witness irreversible changes within our lifetimes and so there’s never been a more important time to study environmental challenges. My job enables me to share my passion of Earth surface processes with the next generation and inspire them to engage with some of the most pressing contemporary issues of our time, and to be part of the solution that will create a more sustainable future.

How is collaboration integral to your work, and what are one or two collaborations that have been most meaningful to you?

Collaboration is central to my approach in research. As the only glacial scientist in our department, it is critical for me to collaborate with colleagues from other institutions. Since I focus on polar and alpine regions (which there is a particular dearth of in the UK!), it is also crucial that I extend these networks to international researchers. There is no substitute for local knowledge. The people who depend on these types of environment for their water sources, hydroelectric power generation etc., and who live and work in these areas know them inside out and their insights are often paramount to the research that we conduct. This interdisciplinary approach provides a diverse range of backgrounds and academic perspectives. Environmental-based research is a field that is constantly evolving. Collaboration enables us to keep pace with technology and innovation so that we remain at the forefront of new discoveries.

I also co-teach on a module within Landscape Architecture which combines cultural perspectives and natural processes. Before joining Leeds Beckett, I had no idea this branch of research and teaching existed! So it’s been great for broadening my horizons and proves that the physical environment is central to other research disciplines.

Climate change and sustainability are topics beginning to obtain more traction in the media, do you think these subjects should be placed with more importance in political agendas?

Climate change will have implications on a global scale. Understanding the world around us in terms of both natural and human processes that affect our planet and our livelihoods has never been more important than it is now. We are slowly piecing together how the atmosphere, oceans and biosphere all interact with each other and we have known about the consequences of industrial emissions for a while. Governments need to start asking which mechanisms underpin natural hazards and how might we mitigate the risks to our societies? These questions are applicable to our everyday life, not just for environmental reasons but in economic terms too. In my own research, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFS) occur when a lake dam fails or is overtopped, suddenly releasing a large volume of water. These floods can have devastating impacts on downstream ecosystems, infrastructure and communities. Understanding how glacial lakes are changing is a critical first step in assessing the hazard potential of individual lakes and eventually formulating hazard mitigation strategies for local stakeholders.

What achievements have you been most proud of while working in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing?

I am most proud of conceiving our Green Impact Team. ‘Green Impact’ is a national scheme run by the NUS to promote a greener workplace and implement changes which decrease our environmental impact in line with the sustainable development goals. Our Geography and Planning team achieved a Platinum award in its first year which is the highest award possible. We are a cross-course student and staff team who aim to make a difference by developing an active learning community. Sustainability is at the heart of what we teach and learn so we wanted to ensure that this set of principles wasn’t just knowledge but was directed into some form of social action, that would benefit not only our students but the wider community too. We held a winter ball charity fundraising event in aid of LoveLeedsParks and established a sustainable garden to support biodiversity on campus. The maturity of the students in how they handled organisational aspects and their commitment towards the cause has been great to see. All our efforts contributed to this big success, but it is an ongoing project which we only aim to improve and develop in the future.