Dr Katharine Welsh

Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography and University Innovation Fellow

+44 (0) 1244 511236
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
k.welsh@chester.ac.uk
Dr Katharine Welsh

I am a physical geographer interested in human-environment interactions, flood resilience and modelling, and technology enhanced learning.

My research interests include technology enhanced learning, particularly in fieldwork environments. I am also interested in catchment scale flood modelling and community flood resilience. Since the COVID-19 pandemic I have had an interest in how households and individuals can ‘learn from’ their experiences to build resilience for future socio-economic crises and this has led to exploration of the potential of gamification to support more sustainable lifestyles.

  • GE5001 Hazard Processes and Human Vulnerability (Module Leader)
  • GE6003 Natural Hazard Assessment and Mitigation
  • GE7010 Engineering, Hydrology and Hydraulic Principles in Flood Risk (Module Leader)
  • GE7011 Flood Risk Modelling (Module Leader)
  • GE7017 Independent Dissertation
  • GE7018 Natural Flood Management and the Catchment Context

My research has focussed around three key areas:

Enhancing Fieldwork Learning

Although this was originally a 3 year project (2010-2013) focusing on mobile technologies, the project team still work together and run an annual showcase event to support staff development around a whole range of fieldwork-related themes from employability to inclusivity to technology enhanced learning.

Flooding

Originally engaged with the hydro-geomorphic model CAESAR-Lisflood, my research has involved using palaerecords to validate the model over long timescales.  I have also supported MSc students to apply a range of approaches to modelling Natural Flood Management.  More recently, I have moved into the field of contemporary flood risk management and have explored the role of community resilience particularly on the North Wales coast and have hosted community information events to raise awareness of the challenges of flooding for these communities.

Local Lockdown Life/Home Grown Green

Working with Dr Rebecca Collins, since the COVID-19 pandemic we explored the changing behaviours of individuals and households through a longitudinal mixed-methods study. Many of the behaviours exhibited were unintentionally pro-environmental. Through funding from the Royal Geographical Society, we have since developed a smartphone app ‘Home Grown Green’ which we hope will help to maintain or reinvigorate some of these pro-environmental habits developed through the pandemic and offer some insight into the role of gamification for improving sustainable lifestyles.

Collins, R., Welsh, K.E., Rushton, M., Cliffe, A.D., Bull, E. (2022) Nature, Nurture, (Neo-)Nostalgia? Back-casting for a more socially and environmentally sustainable post-COVID future. Social and Cultural Geography, 1-20.

Collins, R., & Welsh, K. (2022). The road to “local green recovery”: Signposts from COVID‐19 lockdown life in the UK. Area.

Hillier, J. K., Welsh, K.E., Stiller-Reeve, M., Priestley, R. K., Roop, H. A., Lanza, T., & Illingworth, S. (2021). Geoscience communication–Planning to make it publishable. Geoscience Communication Discussions, 1-25.

Whalley, B., France, D., Park, J., Mauchline, A., & Welsh, K. (2021). Towards flexible personalized learning and the future educational system in the fourth industrial revolution in the wake of Covid-19. Higher Education Pedagogies, 6(1), 79-99.

Clark, K. A., Welsh, K. E., Mauchline, A. L., France, D., Whalley, W. B., & Park, J. (2020). Do educators realise the value of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in fieldwork learning? Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 1-24.

Schillereff, D. N., Chiverrell, R. C., Macdonald, N., Hooke, J. M., Welsh, K. E., Piliposian, G., & Croudace, I. W. (2019). Convergent human and climate forcing of late-Holocene flooding in Northwest England. Global and Planetary Change, 182, 102998.

Healey, R. L., Lerczak, A., Welsh, K., & France, D. (2019). By any other name? The impacts of differing assumptions, expectations, and misconceptions in bringing about resistance to student-staff partnership. International Journal for Students as Partners, 3(1), 106-122.

Welsh, K. E., Mauchline, A. L., France, D., Powell, V., Whalley, W. B., & Park, J. (2018). Would Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) be welcomed by undergraduate students to support their learning during fieldwork?. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 1-16.

Schillereff, D. N., Chiverrell, R. C., Macdonald, N., Hooke, J. M., & Welsh, K. E. (2016). Quantifying system disturbance and recovery from historical mining-derived metal contamination at Brotherswater, northwest England. Journal of Paleolimnology, 56(2-3), 205-221.

Welsh, K.E., Mauchline, A., Powell, V., France, D., Park, J.R., Whalley, W.B. (2015) Student perceptions of iPads as mobile learning devices for fieldwork. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 39(3), p.450-469.

France, D., Whalley, W.B., Welsh, K.E., Powell, V., Lerczak, A., Mauchline, A., Park, J.R. (2015)   Enhancing Fieldwork Learning using Mobile Technologies. Springer Brief Series. 

Welsh, K.E, Mauchline, A.L., France, D., Park, J., and Whalley B. (2013) Enhancing Fieldwork Learning with technology: practitioner’s perspectives, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 37 (3), 399-415.

Welsh, K., France, D., Park, J., and Whalley B. (2012) Geotagging Photographs in Student Fieldwork, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 36(3).

  • BSc (Liverpool), PhD (Liverpool)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2016)
  • Senior Fellow of Advance HE (2022)

Awards

  • Advance HR Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (2018)

Professional Affiliations

  • European Geoscience Union
  • Associate Editor Geoscience Communication