Dr. Katharina Beyerl
Scientific Project Leader
© Gabriele Zöllner
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Dr. Katharina Beyerl is a psychologist with focus on environmental psychology. She holds a PhD in Geography from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Since 2012, she has been working at the Research Institute for Sustainability (formerly Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies) in Potsdam, Germany. She studies perceptions of the socio-ecological crisis and coping strategies in order to support a transition to more sustainable lifestyles. Since 2022, she has been leading the junior research group "Social, economic and ecological effects of participatory, sustainable food production" [pane] funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The aim of the junior research group is to scientifically accompany community-supported agriculture initiatives in structurally weak regions of Germany in a transdisciplinary approach in order to investigate impacts on individuals, communities and nature and to identify ways to strengthen positive effects. The research institutions involved in the project are the Technische Universität Berlin, the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
Projects
Groups
Blog Posts
- since 2022 Leader of the junior research group "Social, economic and ecological effects of participatory, sustainable food production" [pane] at TU Berlin and RIFS Potsdam
- 2018 - 2021 Scientific project leader of the ENSURE Project at the IASS Potsdam
- 2012 - 2022 Project scientist at the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies Potsdam
- 2009 - 2012 PhD-Scholarship of the German Research Foundation Graduate Research School "Perspectives on Urban Ecology", Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Geography, Working Group Metropolitan- and Innovation Research
- 2008 - 2009 Research Associate at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
- 2000 - 2008 Studied Psychology and Human Geography in Leipzig and Jena
- Human perceptions and motivations
- Processes of societal transformation, sustainable (regional) development, and changes of infrastructure
- Perceptions of the socio-ecological crisis and coping-strategies
- Community-supported agriculture
- Environmental Psychology
- Transdisciplinary methods
Publications at the RIFS
Publications prior to joining the RIFS
- Beyerl, K. (2010): "Der Klimawandel in der psychologischen Forschung". In: Voss, M. (Ed.) Der Klimawandel. Sozialwissenschaftliche Perspektiven, 247-265. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden.
- Beyerl, K. (2022, January). How to overcome the barriers to living more sustainably. A psychological perspective. Invited presentation (online) Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, London.
- Beyerl, K. (2021, June). Barriers to a Collective Radical Ecological Conversion: A Psychological Perspective. Invited presentation (online) International Conference on Women, Solidarity, and Ecology hosted by the Laudato Si Research Institute, Campion Hall, University of Oxford.
- Beyerl, K. (2021, October). Barrieren für nachhaltiges Verhalten. Eine psychologische Perspektive. Invited presentation (online) zur #GeoWoche2021.
- Beyerl, K. (2019). What makes us think and act differently? - Psychological perspectives on a radical ecological conversion. Presentation Workshop at the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, London.
- Steinhorst, J., & Beyerl, K. (2019, September). Expert Views on Agents and Approaches to Plastic as a Systemic Risk - Results of an Expert Survey in Germany. Presented at the International Conference of Environmental Psychology, Plymouth, United Kingdom.
- Beyerl, K., & Putz, O. (2019, June). Social Inequality a Systemic Risk? Presented at The Society for Risk Analysis - Europe 28th Annual Conference, "Systemic Risks: From Natural Hazards to Cyber Risks", German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ, Potsdam, Germany.
- Beyerl, K., Steinhorst, J., Lawrence, M.J., & Putz, O. (2018, November) Environmental Plastics: Systemic Risk or Merely a Conventional Pollution Risk? Presented at the workshop "Systemic Risks: Concepts, Applications and Suggestions for Governance" of the BBAW-IASS Initiative Systemic Risks as Prototypes of Dynamic Structure Generation, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
- Beyerl, K. (2018, November). Social Inequality as a Systemic Risk to Sustainable Development. Presented at the Workshop "Systemic Risks: Concepts, Applications and Suggestions for Governance" of the BBAW-IASS Initiative Systemic Risks as Prototypes of Dynamic Structure Generation, Berlin- Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Berlin.
- Beyerl, K. (2018, March). What makes us think and act differently? Psychological perspectives on a radical ecological conversion. Presentation at the International Conference "Radical Ecological Conversion After Laudato Si', Discovering the Intrinsic Value of all Creatures" at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy.
- Beyerl, K. (2017, October). Coping with climate-related environmental changes in Pacific Small Island States. Presented at Impacts World 2017. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam.
- Beyerl, K. (2015, November). Climate Engineering Research Trends - Survey Results. Invited presentation, Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt DBU, Osnabrück.
- Beyerl, K. (2015, October). Climate Change Adaptation - A psychological Perspective. Presentation for Humboldt Scholarship Holders. Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., IASS.
- Beyerl, K. (2014, November). Klimawandel - Adaptation und die Einbeziehung von Betroffenen. Invited presentation. Psychologie in der Naturschutzkommunikation - Naturschutz, Umweltkrise und die Rolle des Individuums. Bundesamt für Naturschutz und Internationale Naturschutzakademie, Insel Vilm.
- Beyerl, K. (2014, Juni). Tales from the South Pacific - Studying the perception of climate related environmental changes and adaptation strategies in Pacific Small Island States. A psychologist's experience. Invited presentation at Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenöklogie, Bremen.