Kristen Ounanian, recent MAF PhD graduate has accepted a faculty position at Aalborg University in Denmark. In September Kristen will start as Assistant Professor of Marine Governance and Coastal Community Development with the Center for Innovative Fisheries Management (IFM) associated with the Department of Development and Planning. Kristen is happy to continue collaboration with researchers at IFM, where she did part of her PhD studies and was a Fulbright student.

Throughout her PhD, Kristen maintained connections to European and Nordic researchers. In May Kristen presented portions of her dissertation research in Akureyri, Iceland at the 4th Biannual Conference on Nordic Rural Research. Based on six case studies in northern Denmark and New England, Kristen’s dissertation analyzed forms of transition and fisheries dependence in these two regions in diverse coastal communities. Her paper, Existential Fisheries Dependence: Remaining on the Map through Fishing, was accepted in the thematic panel, “Closing the marine commons as a tool of resource governance.” URI’s Marine Affairs department, the College of Environment and Life Sciences, and Aalborg University supported Kristen’s participation and travel to the conference.

After the conference in Akureyri, Kristen traveled to Aalborg, Denmark to defend her dissertation a second time as part of a dual doctoral degree between URI and Aalborg University. Kristen successfully defended her dissertation at URI on February 29, 2016 and in Aalborg on June 17, 2016. The external assessment committee at Aalborg University comprised Dr. Søren Eliasen of IFM, Prof. Jeremy Phillipson of Newcastle University, and Dr. Caroline Gottschalk Druschke of URI.

Photo caption:
Dr. Caroline Gottshalk Druschke of URI questions recent dual doctoral recipient, Dr. Kristen Ounanian during her defense at Aalborg University