Catherine Semcer is pursuing her DPhil under the supervision of Professor Amy Dickman, Dr Darragh Hare and Dr Francis Vorhies. Catherine’s research focuses on how stakeholders at multiple scales perceive the phenomenon of militarised conservation – the use of tactics, tools, and strategies historically reserved for warfighting to protect nature.

Catherine brings a range of expertise to her research including serving on the Board of Advisors of the Game Rangers Association of Africa and having worked for a private security firm that provided a range of services to anti-poaching units in Africa.

She is a member of the IUCN’s Environmental Security and Conflict Law Specialist Group as well as the Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group. Catherine is also affiliated with the Marjan Conflict and Biodiversity Study Group at Kings College London. Her experience also includes working for a large conservation NGO where she spent over a decade working with the US Department of Defence on issues at the intersection of conservation and violent conflict. She began her career at a large consulting firm where she was an original member of their sustainability practice.