Meet the Team

Say hello to the KATS team!

Our team here at Newcastle University are enthusiastic about teaching the Sustainable Developing Goals and empowering young people to become climate changemakers!

Professor Pauline Dixon, PhD, FAcSS, FRSA (Principle Investigator)

KATS was created by Pauline in her role as Co-Investigator for the Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub. KATS helps nurture creative thought in children around the SDGs focusing on the environment and climate action. It allows children to become citizen scientists in order to address climate anxiety.

Dr Steve Humble, MBE, FIMA (Co-Investigator)

Steve is a Reader in Global Development. He was awarded an MBE, a grade within the British order of chivalry – Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – for Services to Education in the 2016 New Year’s Honours List. He is a recognised education expert and statistician. Steve is the Co-Investigator on KATS advising on implementation, project ideas, curriculum and research.

Robbie Shaw (KATS Lead)

Robbie is an educationalist with a passion for development. He has travelled extensively in Asia working in schools in China as well as being an education advisor in India. His work on development has lead to his interest in climate change as well as environmental issues.

Dr. Elle Young (KATS Associate)

Elle is one of our KATS Associates who worked with the Water Security Hub here at Newcastle University to deliver this highly successful education programme globally. She delivered the project to over 2000 young people in the Northeast and around the world.

Dr. Andrea Wilkinson (KATS Associate)

Andrea is an expert in Small Island Developing States (SIDs) and is passionate about education and the UNSDGs. Andrea helped to lead our recent KATS project in Barbados as well as in schools in the Northeast.

Dr. Maria-Valasia Peppa (Expert in Geospatial Engineering)

Maria is an expert in geospatial engineering, specialising in how drones can be used to collect data about our changing environment. Maria was a STEM expert in our KATS: EFECTS project and helped students to become engineering by creating boats out of empty plastic bottles.

Flooded Cellar has worked with KATS from the very beginning in 2021 to help document the KATS project in schools in the UK as well as in Barbados and India. Dr Declan McCormack and Sue Price formed Flooded Cellar Productions in 2002, with the aim to producing documentaries around the world