"Kristina G. Douglass, an archaeologist whose community-based research uses lessons from the past to help communities understand how to adapt to climate change, has been named one of 22 MacArthur Fellows for 2025. The honor, often called a "genius" grant, recognizes exceptional creativity and dedication across disciplines and includes an $800,000 no-strings-attached stipend. Douglass, an associate professor of climate at the Columbia Climate School and the school's first faculty hire, investigates how human societies and environments have co-evolved and adapted to climate variability over time."
""This recognition affirms that focusing on community practices and priorities as a researcher is absolutely necessary for our collective well-being and our future," says Douglass. "It's a resounding 'yes' to giving voice to communities facing some of the hardest impacts of climate change, while making sure the way we leverage science directly meets their needs." Raised in Madagascar, Douglass founded the Morombe Archaeological Project (MAP) in 2011 to study long-term human-environment interactions within the Velondriake Marine Protected Area of southwest Madagascar."
Kristina G. Douglass conducts community-based archaeological research that applies lessons from past human-environment interactions to contemporary climate adaptation. Her interdisciplinary work integrates archaeology, climatology and conservation biology through longstanding collaborations with local and Indigenous communities in southwest Madagascar. She founded the Morombe Archaeological Project (MAP) in 2011 to study human-environment dynamics within the Velondriake Marine Protected Area and trained local collaborators in archaeological methods. MAP mobilized resources during a 2020 COVID-19 outbreak to supply protective equipment and locally produced masks. Her research identifies factors that enable conservation success for ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
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