DR ALEKSANDRA (SASHA) KOSANIC
Interdisciplinary scientist, Physical geographer, Climate change scientist and Ecologist.
I am STEM equality activist promoting for better inclusion of disabled students and researchers. Former Paralympic athlete in Alpine Skiing.
I am an interdisciplinary scientist with a focus on climate change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Furthermore, I am interested in how the change or the loss of cultural ecosystem services can impact human well being in particular in vulnerable populations, such as indigenous, youth, elderly and disabled.
My recent project in Madagascar looked at climate change impacts on the cultural ecosystem services and wellbeing of different groups (i.e. elderly, youth and disabled).
Interdisciplinary scientist
University of Konstanz - Germany
During my Postdoctoral research at the University of Konstanz, I profiled myself as an interdisciplinary scientist who is aiming to better understand recent climate change on nature and our relationship with nature. This relationship is fundamental for our wellbeing and preserving nature for generations to come. In Konstanz, as a part of Zukunftskolleg I had an opportunity to organise multidisciplinary workshops and fieldworks and teach at the graduate level.
PhD Researcher
University of Exeter - United Kingdom
I did my PhD at the University of Exeter at one of the best Geography Departments in the world at beautiful Cornwall. In my research, I used historical/archive instrumental and herbarium data to connect past and present environmental changes. I also won the Lord Snowdon Award for physically disabled students. This was a testimony of my perseverance and accomplished goals.
Paralympic Athlete
Salt Lake City, 2002 - United States
I was the first female Paralympic Athlete in skiing from Croatia who completed at the Winter Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. Being a Paralympic athlete I trained 30 hours per week and simultaneously finishing my MSc in Physical Geography. This intense and busy schedule with training, competitions including many travels across Europe and fieldwork in Slovenia/Croatia taught me to increase my stress resilience and master my organisation skills.
Undergraduate Studies and Master Degree
The University of Zagreb and University of Ljubljana - Croatia & Slovenia
I was born with cerebral palsy and despite the odds that I will ever have a fully independent life, I fulfilled my childhood dream and finished an undergraduate study in Geography at the University of Zagreb.
My passion for geography, hiking and mountains led me to do a Master Degree in Physical Geography/Karst Geomorphology at the University of Ljubljana.
