Dr Nichola Harmer

Lecturer in Human Geography

PhD Human Geography, Plymouth University, 2013.MA Politics (International Relations), University of Exeter, 1993.
BA (Hons) American Studies (Literature), University of Sussex, 1989.
PGCAP Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, University of Plymouth 2017

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with IBGFellow of Advance HE

I am Admissions Tutor for Geography and teach on a range of undergraduate Geography modules. At Stage One these include leading our Sustainable Futures module (GGX1206) and teaching about research methods in our Changing Places module (GGH1202). I lead and teach on Stage Four module: Citizenship, Territory, War (GGH3208) and co-teach on Environmental Politics and Governance (GGH3210). I am a personal/academic tutor across the undergraduate stages for our Geography with International Relations students. I supervise undergraduate dissertations in Human Geography and supervise masters level dissertations in Sustainable Environmental Management. I also teach on the MRes Human Geography. I am currently second supervisor for one PhD student researching the impacts of fracking on rural communities in the UK and another PhD student examining the implementation of environmental legislation in Gibraltar. 

My research interest cover three main areas with some significant overlap: the relationship between the UK and the British Overseas Territories, sustainability and creative approaches to research in human geography, particularly literature and art. My PhD focused on perceptions of the contemporary relationship between the UK and the overseas territories, focusing on issues of power, identity and ethics. More recently I have researched UK Parliamentary debate on the overseas territories and parliamentary discourse on marine and terrestrial environments in the overseas territories. I have also contributed to research and co-authored articles on a wide range of sustainability issues including eco-cities, climate change adaptation, and emissions trading schemes. Having studied American Literature for my undergraduate degree, I am also interested in literary geographies and have written on post-peak oil apocalyptic fiction.