Jemma Finch

Jemma Finch is an Associate Professor in Geography at the University of KwaZulu-Natal where she teaches undergraduate Biogeography and Environmental Change. Jemma holds a PhD from the University of York (UK) and conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cape Town. A palaeoecologist by training, Jemma uses plant and animal remains preserved in sediments as indicators of past climates and environments. She argues that by understanding environmental histories, we can better predict how ecosystems will respond to change in the future, which is incredibly important in the context of current climate warming. Jemma has ongoing projects in Maputaland, the Drakensberg, and East Africa, looking at ecosystem change through time. Her current research focus on estuarine deposits along the southern African coastline seeks to understand regional patterns of recent sea level rise in response to climate warming. Jemma is the recipient of the 2021 UKZN Vice Chancellor’s Research Award. She is an Associate Editor for the South African Journal of Science in the field of Archaeology, Anthropology and Palaeontology and sits on the editorial board for Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.