Melissa Leach, (born 5 January 1965) is a British

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

and

social anthropologist Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

. She studies sustainability and development concerns in policy-making and has a focus on the politics of science and technology of Africa. As of 2017 she was the Director of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) located on the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

campus.

Education

She earned her BA in

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and ...

with starred first honours at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and her MPhil and PhD in

social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

from the

SOAS University of London SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury are ...

. Leach co-founded and directed the

ESRC The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), formerly the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) funded by the UK government. ESRC provides fundi ...

STEPS (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) Centre from 2006 to 2014.

Awards and honours

* 1998: Amaury Talbot Prize of the Royal Anthropological Institute, for best book in African Anthropology, for 'Misreading the African Landscape'. * 2012: European Association for the Study of Science and Technology Ziman Prize for public engagement with science, for STEPS Centre 'New Manifesto' initiative. * 2016: ESRC Outstanding International Impact Award for Ebola Response Anthropology Platform (ERAP). * 2017: Leach was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) in the

2017 Birthday Honours The 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...

for services to the social sciences. * 2017: In July 2017, she was elected a

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

(FBA), the United Kingdom's

national academy A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, most frequently in the sciences but also the humanit ...

for the humanities and social sciences.

Membership and professional activities

* Vice-Chair of the Science Committee of Future Earth, steering development of agenda around planetary futures, sustainability and post-2015 development. * Member of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). * Lead author of the UN Women 2014 World Survey on the Role of Women in Development on gender equality and sustainable development. * Co-Leader, ISSC World Social Science Report 2016 on Inequalities and Social justice. * Trustee, Malaria Consortium * Advisory Board member, ESRC ‘Nexus Network: New connections in food, energy, water and the environment’. * UK

Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) is a British Government body that advises central government in emergencies. It is usually chaired by the United Kingdom's Chief Scientific Adviser, currently Sir Patrick Vallance. Specialis ...

(SAGE) Ebola, 2014 – 15. *Member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Stockholm Environment Institute.

Selected publications

* Leach, M. and Scoones, I. eds., 2015. ''Carbon conflicts and forest landscapes in Africa''. Routledge. * Leach, M., 2015. ''The Ebola Crisis and Post‐2015 Development''. Journal of International Development, 27(6), pp. 816–834. * Leach, M., Raworth, K. and Rockström, J., 2013. ''Between social and planetary boundaries: Navigating pathways in the safe and just space for humanity''. World social science report, 2013, pp. 84–89. * Fairhead, J., Leach, M. and Scoones, I., 2012. ''Green Grabbing: a new appropriation of nature?''. Journal of Peasant Studies, 39(2), pp. 237–261. * Leach, M., Scoones, I. and Wynne, B., 2005. ''Science and citizens: globalisation and the challenge of engagement'' (Vol. 2). Zed Books. * Fairhead, J. and M. Leach, 1996, ''Misreading the African landscape: society and ecology in a forest-Savanna mosaic''. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. * Leach, M., Mearns, R. and Scoones, I., 1999. ''Environmental entitlements: dynamics and institutions in community-based natural resource management''. World development, 27(2), pp. 225–247. * Leach, M. and Mearns, R., 1996. ''Environmental change and policy. The Lie of the Land: challenging received wisdom on the African environment''. Oxford: James Currey, pp. 1–33. * Leach, M. and R. Mearns, 1996, ''The Lie of the land: Challenging received wisdom on the African environment''. Oxford: James Currey Publishers Ltd. and New York: Heinemann * Leach, M., 1994, ''Rainforest relations: Gender and resource use among the Mende of Gola, Sierra Leone''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press and Washington: Smithsonian Institution

References

External links

Melissa Leach
on the Institute of Development Studies website
Prof Melissa Leach
on the University of Sussex website
Professor Melissa Leach
on the Bond website {{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Melissa Living people Alumni of SOAS University of London Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge 1965 births Commanders of the Order of the British Empire British geographers British anthropologists British women anthropologists Fellows of the British Academy