I am a political ecologist centering climate justice across islands and oceans. My research primarily examines military-led adaptation through a comparative case study in two locations with distinct relationships to the U.S. empire: the unincorporated island territory of Guåhan (Guam) and San Diego County, California.
Admittance Semester/Year and Program
Fall 2022, PhD in Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (Society & Environment)
Education
BS, Environmental Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2019
MESc, Environmental Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 2022
Research Lab
Climate Futures Lab
Critical Pacific Islands Studies Collective
Selected Publications
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Rudge, K. Colonialism, justice, and Indigenous knowledge: A critical analysis of climate change adaptation scholarship on U.S. territories. Environmental Development (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101353
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Rudge, K.*, Perez, S.*, Cutter, G., Kammerer V. Relocating occupation: A critical environmental justice analysis of the U.S. military migration from Okinawa to Guåhan, Human Geography (2024). DOI: 10.1177/19427786241290137
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Rudge, K. Leveraging critical race theory to produce equitable climate change adaptation, Nature Climate Change (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-023-01690-9
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Rudge, K. Participatory climate adaptation planning in New York City: Analyzing the role of community-based organizations, Urban Climate (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.101018
Selected Presentations
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Rudge, K., Military-adaptation Complex: Problematizing the Role of the U.S. Department of Defense in Shaping Climate Change Action across the U.S.-affiliated Pacific, Adaptation Futures Conference, Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand (2025).
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Perez, S., Rudge, K., et al., Challenging the buildup: A comparative analysis of environmental legal protections across militarizing islands, American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI (2024).
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Rudge, K., Analyzing reporting of climate change and economic development in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Conference on Island Sustainability, University of Guam, Tamuning Guam (2023).
Selected Honors and Awards
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Asian American Research Center Graduate Fellow, Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (2025-2026)
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Lau Graduate Fellowship in Climate Equity (2025)
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Teaching Effectiveness Award, Graduate Council’s Advisory Committee, Teaching and Resource Center (2025)
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Critical Pacific Islander Studies Fellowship, Asian Pacific American Student Development (2024)
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Chancellor’s Fellowship (2022)
