Elizabeth Vander Meer

Teaching Fellow in Interdisciplinary Data Methods

  • Edinburgh Futures Institute
  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Street

Edinburgh Futures Institute
1 Lauriston Place

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH3 9EF
Street

Moray House School of Education and Sport
Thomson's Land, Holyrood Rd

City
Edinburgh
Post code
EH8 8AQ

Biography

Background

Elizabeth completed a PhD in multispecies anthropology from the University of Exeter in summer 2024. Her thesis explored captivity for penguins, sea lions and lions in French circuses, rescue centres and zoos, through a blend of theory in performance studies and biopolitics. Prior to this, Elizabeth had obtained a PhD in Environmental Policy and Ethics from Lancaster University, specialising in biodiversity conservation.

Elizabeth has been working for the University of Edinburgh in policy and research management roles since 2007, in diverse areas such as e-science and carbon capture and storage. She supported strategy and policy development in space and research management for the University’s Vice Principal for Planning, Resources and Research Policy. In her 10 years with the Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Elizabeth coordinated development of University climate change mitigation strategy and led on adaptation and biodiversity strategies, implementation plans and carbon reporting, while also monitoring wider policy shifts at national and international levels. She worked closely with academics, students and community groups on living lab projects in climate change and biodiversity subject areas. 

Elizabeth's current academic role as Teaching Fellow in Interdisciplinary Data Methods at Edinburgh Futures Institute involves teaching courses and supporting students within the broad area of Interdisciplinary Studies, supervising practical work and research projects on the core Interdisciplinary Futures courses, contributing to curriculum development, design or revision of course units in the subject area and undertaking interdisciplinary research.

Research summary

Elizabeth's research interests are wide-ranging and include:

  • One Welfare - how to develop the concept and apply it, from a posthumanist perspective
  • human wildlife conflict and coexistence (with focus on predators and primates)
  • rescue and rehabilitation of big cats 
  • the idea of fraternity or siblinghood applied to legal and civic contexts for multispecies justice 
  • non market approaches to addressing biodiversity loss
  • development of green space factor tools for climate change adaptation and biodiversity

Knowledge exchange

Publications:

Vander Meer, E. & Willis, A. (2025). Thinking with Care: women and the politics of care in animal advocacy archival records, 1910-1930. Gender & History (forthcoming).

Cousquer, G., Norris, E., Lurz, P., Vander Meer, E., & Gurnell, J. (2024). Hedgerows for Hedgehogs and Campus Biodiversity: A Prickly Challenge for Universities. Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change, 4(1), 101–126. https://doi.org/10.47061/jasc.v4i1.7544

Dugnoille, J. & Vander Meer, E., Eds. (2022). Animals Matter: Resistance and Transformation in Animal Commodification. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004528444

Vander Meer, E, (2022). GI Mapping for Adaptation and Biodiversity: methodology review and tool development case study in Edinburgh. Book chapter in Business and Policy Solutions to Climate Change (Palgrave Macmillan).

Vander Meer, E. (2022). Creating Distance or Proximity? How wild lives are told through remote camera viewing. In I. Bencke & J. Bruhn (Eds.). Multispecies Storytelling. Punctum Books/Laboratory for Aesthetics and Ecology, Copenhagen.

Vander Meer, E. (2019). “Returning to Wild? Four lions’ journey from circus to sanctuary”. Humanimalia, 10:2: 180-202.

Vander Meer, E. (2017). “Alligator Song: a challenge to spectacle, product and menace”.  Society & Animals, Advance online at http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/10.1163/15685306-12341480

Cathcart, R., Chalmers, H., Snape, C., Vander Meer, E. & Gibbins, J. (2013).  “Developing National CCS Capacity and Advanced Skills:  Examples from the UK”, Energy Procedia, 37, 7281-7290.

Watson, P., Trefethen, A. & Vander Meer, E., eds. (2010).  Theme Issue, e-Science: past, present and future II.  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, vol. 368(1926), July.

Watson, P., Trefethen, A. & Vander Meer, E., eds. (2010).  Theme Issue, e-Science: past, present and future I.  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, vol. 368(1925), July.

Voss, A., Vander Meer, E. & Fergusson, D., eds. (2009).  Research in a Connected World.  JISC (1st Edition).

Atkinson, M., Fergusson, D. & Vander Meer, E. (2009). “Curricula Development for e-Science:  Meeting the Challenges”, Computing Now, March.

Voss, A., Asgari-Targhi, M., Procter, R., Halfpenny, P., Dunn, S., Fragkouli, E., Anderson, S., Hughes, L., Fergusson, D., van der Meer, E. & Atkinson, M. (2008). “Paths to Wider

Adoption of e-Infrastructure Services”, Oxford e-Research Conference.

Atkinson, M., Vander Meer, E., Fergusson, D. & Artacho, M. (2008).  “Education and Training Task Force Report”, e-Infrastructure Reflection Group (e-IRG), July.

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