Overview

I am an interdisciplinary academic with a physical geography background, with expertise in using and developing collaborative tools and holistic approaches to address real-world global challenges, especially focusing on water security (quantity and quality) and direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts on the natural system.

I studied geography at Loughborough University and then completed a Masters by Research in Environment Sciences at Bangor University, Wales before moving to Cornwall to complete my PhD in rock glaciers, climate change and water resources in the Bolivian Andes with the University of Exeter. I then moved to the University of Birmingham for my first postdoctoral research position looking at the anthropogenic impacts on hydrological drought, including interdisciplinary drought research in South Africa (CreativeDrought). I started my second postdoctoral research position at the University of Plymouth in July 2019 researching water security with glacier retreat in the Peruvian Andes (SIGMA Peru), before moving to the University of Exeter as a lecturer in physical geography.

Broad research specialisms

Water security (quantity and quality); Water-food-energy nexus; Glacier retreat; Climate change; Droughts; Citizen science; Education & outreach; Anthropogenic impacts on the natural system.

Key research interests

• Changing cryosphere and implications for people
• Glacial retreat, water security and climate change
• Droughts and anthropogenic impacts on the natural system 
• Citizen science for data collection, outreach & communication, and climate literacy
• Interdisciplinary research to address water security issues in the field - especially the interface between physical geography and social science

Qualifications

PhD, School of Geography, University of Exeter, UK (2010 - 2014).  NERC funded CASE Studentship PhD “Rock glaciers and Climate Change in the Dry Andes of Bolivia: Implications on future water resources”.

PGCE, Cornwall SCITT, Secondary School Geography (2018 - 2019)

MRes (Masters by Research), Environmental Sciences, Bangor University, Wales, UK (2009 - 2010)

BSc Geography (1st class honours), Loughborough University (2005 - 2009)

Academic Positions

Lecturer, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UK (Sept 2021 – present)

Research Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK (2019 - present)

Research Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK (2015 - 2018)

Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria, Canada (September 2017)

Research group links

• Environment and Sustainability
• Cryosphere, Coastal and River Dynamics

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Research

Research interests

• Changing cryosphere and implications for people
• Glacial retreat, water security and climate change
• Droughts and anthropogenic impacts on the natural system 
• Citizen science for data collection, outreach & communication, and climate literacy
• Interdisciplinary research to address water security issues in the field - especially the interface between physical geography and social science

Research projects

Curent Projects 

SIGMA Peru: (Societal Impacts of Glacier Melt in the Andes: Peru): Newton Funded UK-Peru interdisciplinary research project at the University of Plymouth looking at integrated upstream and downstream thinking to mitigate water security challenges from Peruvian glacier retreat. Our project seeks to evaluate the past, present and future problems associated with glacial retreat in Peru, with regards to water quantity and quality, and study the impacts on basin-wide water, food and energy security. Working collaboratively between the UK and Peruvian researchers, and between natural and social sciences, the project aims to develop strategies to improve water security in the region for local people, industry and agriculture for the study region in the Peruvian Andes, Santa River basin.

Nuestro Rio (Our River): GCRF funded project at the University of Plymouth investigating local perspectives on water quality in the Santa River basin in Peru. This will be done by collecting photos, perceptions and understanding of water quality along the river using a new citizen science app, ‘Nuestro Rio’, which has been designed and developed by the interdisciplinary, international project team. The project will also be able to unravel water quality perceptions future through semi-structured interviews with local communities and participants. The project results will help us to develop future science communication strategies in the region, supporting the wider research of the SIGMA Peru project, and hopefully future research conducted in this region.

Previous projects

GlacierMap (2019-2020): UKRI-funded citizen science project that created a freely available online glacier mapping tool. GlacierMap was primarily designed for with two main purposes: 1) to promote education of glacier change and the knock-on impacts for downstream communities and environments, especially to UK secondary school pupils; and 2) to collect data on glacier area change in the region through “crowd sourcing” and contribute to understanding of rate of glacial retreat in response to climate pressures.

CreativeDrought (2016-2017): GFRC funded project at the University of Birmingham which aimed to build resilience to future droughts in a South African community using a novel approach mixing hydrological modelling and social science narratives in community-based workshops. CreativeDrought was a pilot study to test the interdisciplinary approach. We use the SHETRAN  hydrological model for exploring what-if scenarios in the rural community of Folovhodwe, which were used in our workshops to elicit  future drought narratives, prompting discussions about potential future drought impacts, responses and preparedness.

Adding the human dimension to hydrological drought (2015-2018): NWO Rubicon funded project at the University of Birmingham which looked to quantify the human influence on hydrological droughts. The focus was to improve our understanding of how human activities can aggravate or alleviate drought characteristics, using observation data as a first step to quantifying these influences. Therefore, the project has gathered and analysed a number of case studies from across the globe in a consistent manner to help assess the natural hydrological situation against the human influenced situation.

Select Publications

Rangecroft, S., Rohse, M., Banks, E. W., Day, R., Di Baldassarre, G., Frommen, T., Hayashi, Y., Höllermann, B., Lebek, K., Mondino, E., Rusca, M., Wens, M. & Van Loon A. F. (2021) Guiding principles for hydrologists conducting interdisciplinary research and fieldwork with participants, Hydrological Sciences Journal, 66:2, 214-225, DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2020.1852241

Rangecroft, S., Birkinshaw, S., Rohse, M., Day, R., McEwen, L., Makaya, E. & Van Loon, A. F. (2018). Hydrological modelling as a tool for interdisciplinary workshops on future drought, Progress in Physical Geography, Vol. 42(2) 237–256

Rangecroft, S., Harrison, S. & Anderson, K. (2015). Rock Glaciers as Water Stores in the Bolivian Andes: An Assessment of Their Hydrological Importance, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 47:1, 89-98, DOI: 10.1657/AAAR0014-029

Rangecroft, S., Harrison, S., Anderson, K., Magrath, J., Castel, A. P. & Pacheco, P. (2013). Climate Change and Water Resources in Arid Mountains: An Example from the Bolivian Andes. AMBIO, 42, 852–863, DOI:10.1007/s13280-013-0430-6

Clason, C., Rangecroft, S., Owens, P. N., et al. (2023). Contribution of glaciers to water, energy and food security in mountain regions: current perspectives and future priorities. Annals of Glaciology, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/ aog.2023.14

Dextre, R. M., Eschenhagen, M. L., Camacho Hernández, C., Rangecroft, S., Clason, C., Couldrick, L. & Morera, S. (2022). Payment for ecosystem services in Peru: Assessing the socio-ecological dimension of water services in the upper Santa River basin, Ecosystem Services, Vol 56, 101454 DOI: 0.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101454

Di Baldassarre, G., Wanders, N., AghaKouchak, A., Kuil, L., Rangecroft, S., et al. (2018) Water shortages worsened by reservoir effects. Nature Sustainability 1, 617–622, DOI:10.1038/s41893-018-0159-0 

Van Loon, A. F., Gleeson, T., Clark, J. ... Rangecroft, S. et al. (2016) Drought in the Anthropocene. Nature Geoscience, 9, 89–91, DOI:10.1038/ngeo2646

Van Loon, A. F., Stahl, K., Di Baldassarre, G., Clark, J., Rangecroft, S., et al. (2016). Drought in a human-modified world: reframing drought definitions, understanding, and analysis approaches, Hydrology & Earth System Sciences, vol 20, 3631–3650, DOI:10.5194/hess-20-3631-2016

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Teaching

Undergraduate modules:

• GEO1311 Study Skills for Physical Geographers
• GEO2334 Research Design for Physical Geographers
• GEO2234 The Anthropocene
• GEO3155 Iceland field course

Postgraduate modules:

• GEOM146 Solutions Project (Academic)
• GEOM147 Solutions Project (Internship)
• GEOM144 Innovation and the Science-Policy Interface

Sally is the Programme Director for the Global Sustainablity Solutions MSc course (https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/geography/gss/)  

Modules

2023/24

• GEO1311 - Study Skills for Physical Geographers
• GEO1317 - Professional Placement Foundation
• GEO2319 - Professional Placement Preparation
• GEO2334 - Research Design in Physical Geography
• GEO3155 - Iceland Field Course
• GEOM147 - Solutions Project (Internship)

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Office Hours:

2023/24 academic year office hours: Term 2:

Tuesdays: 2pm - 3pm

Thursdays: 11.30am -12.30pm

In general my office hours will be in-person, but I am also happy to offer online meetings if preferred. Please book in to an office hour slot via email.

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