Dr. Liz Koslov

Biography

Liz Koslov is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, focusing on urban planning, climate change, and environmental justice. Her research employs an interdisciplinary ethnographic approach to analyze the politics of urban climate change adaptation, particularly in relation to debates surrounding sea-level rise and flooding. At UCLA, she teaches through a climate change lens that integrates the built environment with social life, particularly issues of sea-level rise and environmental justice. Koslov's critical examination of the concept of 'managed retreat' in high-risk areas is central to her work, including her book, 'Retreat: Moving Higher Ground Climate-Changed City,' which follows Staten Island homeowners seeking buyouts after Hurricane Sandy. She leads a collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation that explores the intersection of managed retreat and wildfire. Her additional research interests include the evolving meanings of urban natures, the politics of risk mapping, and media representations of climate change. Before joining UCLA, Koslov was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Humanities at MIT, and she holds a PhD in Media, Culture, and Communication from NYU, as well as a MSc in Culture and Society from the London School of Economics and a BA in Communication and Spanish from George Washington University.

Research Interests