Catherine Russell

Fulbright-Lloyd’s Scholar - The University of New Orleans (2022-23)

Catherine Russell completed her PhD in fluvial sedimentology at the University of Leeds in 2017 and went on to lecture in sedimentology and Earth surface processes at the University of Leicester, whilst also affiliated with Louisiana State University. Catherine is a geologist who is interested in human impacts on rivers and their landscapes, including plastic pollution. On experiencing the Louisianan human-modified Mississippi River landscape in 2019, Catherine began adapting traditional geological techniques to modern environments as well as investigating how plastic behaves as a sedimentary particle. In 2020, she established the Anthropocene Sediment Network, which aims to holistically combine human, social, and physical elements of a landscape to aid communication, networking, and learning between communities.

As a Fulbright-Lloyd’s Visiting Scholar at the University of New Orleans, Catherine seeks to learn the deeper impacts of the human-modified landscape on day-to-day living in New Orleans. The key focus of her research will be investigating the novelties of Anthropocene rivers when compared to natural systems, and particularly the consequences of our activities on reservoir water quality. The Fulbright Scholarship will give her the opportunity to build bridges and new connections in her research, as well as to undertake fieldwork in a new environment. The learnings from this research will allow for deeper understanding of the long-term effects of human impact on surface processes across Earth Systems in the Anthropocene.