Irma is a PhD researcher in Conservation Science at the University of Aberdeen, in cooperation with the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences research group of the James Hutton Institute. She completed a BSc in Biology at the Radboud University in Nijmegen and a MSc in Development and Rural Innovation at Wageningen University. After working at an applied university and the Dutch forestry commission she went back to the university to complete a postgraduate studies in Education.
Research
Irma’s PhD research is focused on understanding the interactions between people, technology and nature. She is working on a qualitative study to understand the way digital technology is involved in outdoor activities and how this is linked to people’s identities and values. She is supervised by Anke Fischer and Dominic Duckett of the James Hutton Institute and René van der Wal of the University of Aberdeen.
As a qualified teacher Irma is, next to her PhD research, also interested in education, specifically in incorporating outdoor education into the curriculum and innovating learning environments.
Past research
Past research has focused on conflicts in nature conservation, looking at deliberative and participatory processes and legitimacy of governance practices. For the Dutch forestry commission she has researched interactions and conflicts between people and (re-introduced) fauna.
