Carole is a student in the Ph.D. in Public and Urban Policy program at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment.  She holds a M.Sc. in Ecological Economics from the University of Edinburgh (2024), a Masters in Management Analytics from Queen’s University (2018), and a BA in Economics from Western University (2017). Beginning as a data scientist at IBM, she has since worn many hats throughout her seven year career in the data and technology space. Carole has expertise in the public and energy sectors, having worked with clients like the Province of Nova Scotia, Ontario Power Generation, Enbridge, and Parkland.

 

Carole's research interests lie at the intersection of environmental and social policies, particularly their impact on urban resilience. Her MSc research critically examines the role of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in exasperating socio-spatial inequalities within the housing system. While effective as an environmental policy, gentrification and displacement are often overlooked as negative externalities. Using New York City (NYC) as a case study, she will employ neighbourhood-level system dynamics to understand how institutions and behaviours change. Her research aims to uncover emergent behaviours within the urban system resulting from NYC's environmental justice and social housing policies.

 

Her doctorate research proposes an innovative interdisciplinary approach to examine the complex dynamics of urban systems. Inspired by the concept of cities as living organisms, the study will introduce the framework of "Urban Metabolomics" to investigate the intricate metabolic networks that shape the flows of materials, energy, and information within cities. It examines the role of institutions—shaped by cultural adaptation—as key regulators within these networks. By drawing parallels with enzymes and hormones in biological systems, she aims to understand how institutions influence urban resilience and the human-nature connection. The methodology will draw upon cultural evolution theory, institutional dynamics and dynamical systems to provide a holistic view of the system and facilitate transformative change in urban public policy.