Social Sciences in Nitrogen Research

Andrea (Andi) Móring is a Post-doctoral Research Assistant at the University of Edinburgh, specializing in atmospheric and environmental chemistry with a focus on modeling ammonia emissions from agricultural sources. She completed her MSc in meteorology at Eötvös Loránt University in Budapest, Hungary, before earning her PhD at the University of Edinburgh. Móring's notable work includes developing the GAG (Generation of Ammonia from Grazing) model, a process-based approach for simulating ammonia emissions from urine patches. As the main coordinator of the NEWS India-UK Virtual Centre, she plays a crucial role in fostering international collaboration on agricultural nitrogen research. In 2017, she led the coordination of a significant conference on agricultural nitrogen science challenges in India. Móring is also recognized for her science communication skills, having won awards for presentations and posters at various academic events. She maintains a blog at ammoniagirl.wordpress.com and is active on Twitter as @AndiMoring, where she shares insights on her research and environmental chemistry.

Dr. Anastasia "Annie" Yang, a senior research fellow at the University of Edinburgh's School of Social and Political Science, has established herself as a leading expert in environmental policy and socio-ecological systems research. Her diverse career spans multiple prestigious institutions, including roles at the Centre of International Forestry Research in Indonesia and the Thünen Institute in Hamburg. As a key member of the UKRI GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub, she leads groundbreaking research on nitrogen pollution policies across South Asia, analyzing hundreds of nitrogen-related policies and identifying implementation gaps across eight countries. Her expertise extends beyond nitrogen management to forest landscape restoration and community-based resource management, encompassing both tropical forests and Scottish woodlands. As Forest and Peatland Academic Manager within the Social Responsibility and Sustainability Department at Edinburgh, she effectively bridges academic research with practical implementation. Her interdisciplinary approach combines spatial econometrics, stakeholder analysis, and qualitative methodologies, making significant contributions to understanding multilevel governance in environmental policy. Yang's research portfolio includes pioneering work in environmental sustainability, agricultural policy, forest governance, and community management, with her publications being widely cited in the academic community. Her role in evaluating nitrogen-relevant policies and stakeholder engagement across different scales continues to contribute significantly to sustainable development goals in South Asia, while her work in Scottish forest policy as an academic fellow with Scottish Parliament demonstrates her commitment to local environmental governance.

Dr. Anastasia Yang (Annie), currently serving as Forest and Peatland Academic Manager at the University of Edinburgh, brings extensive expertise in environmental policy and socio-ecological systems research. Her academic journey includes a BSc in Ecology from the University of East Anglia, an MSc in Environment and Development, and a PhD in Rural Development Policy Analysis from the University of Edinburgh. Throughout her career, she has made significant contributions to understanding environmental governance and sustainable resource management across global contexts. Her work with the UKRI GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub focuses on evaluating nitrogen-related policies and stakeholder engagement in South Asia, while her research in forest landscapes spans both tropical and Scottish contexts. Before joining Edinburgh, she held prestigious positions at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia and the Thünen Institute in Hamburg, where she focused on community forest values and sustainable tropical forest management. Her research portfolio includes groundbreaking work on nitrogen pollution policies in South Asia, rural development policy evaluation, and forest landscape restoration. She has demonstrated particular expertise in participatory research methods and policy analysis, contributing to projects like the Climate KIC ForLand initiative and serving as an academic fellow with Scottish Parliament. Her interdisciplinary approach combines environmental sustainability with social justice considerations, making her a leading voice in bridging science, policy, and practical implementation for environmental management.

Dr. Smriti Das, an Associate Professor in the Department of Policy Studies at TERI School of Advanced Studies, has established herself as a leading expert in environmental policy and community development. Her academic journey spans over 13 years at TERI-SAS before joining XLRI Delhi as an Associate Professor of Strategic Management. Her research portfolio encompasses environmental policy, forest governance, sustainable livelihoods, and gender dynamics in resource management, with particular emphasis on marginalized communities. She employs diverse methodological approaches, including ethnographic, historical, and participatory methods, especially in her work with tribal communities. As a key researcher in the UKRI GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub project, she leads critical research on nitrogen pollution policies and stakeholder analysis across South Asia. Her significant contributions include comprehensive studies on gender responsiveness in forest policies, community governance in Central India's forests, and the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006). She has conducted pioneering research on land-water-community relationships in the mid-Ganga basin and the localization of Sustainable Development Goals in Delhi. Through her teaching and supervision of doctoral researchers, she explores various dimensions of environmental governance, including gender dynamics in forest management, community participation, and climate change integration in local governance. Her work consistently demonstrates a commitment to understanding and improving the intersection of environmental policy and community development, particularly focusing on marginalized populations and sustainable resource management.