Skip to main content

Staff Profile

Staff Profile

Dr Eleanor Starkey

Research Associate

  • Email: eleanor.starkey1@ncl.ac.uk
  • Address: National Green Infrastructure Facility
    School of Engineering
    Urban Sciences Building
    1 Science Square
    Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
    NE4 5TG
Background

Background

Eleanor has a background in Hydrology (flood risk monitoring, modelling and management) and has both academic and industrial experience. Eleanor completed her BSc, MSc and PhD degrees at Newcastle University and has returned as a Research Associate to join the National Green Infrastructure Facility team. She is involved in testing and demonstrating the impact of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), including a large-scale swale and different leaky barrier designs. This open laboratory is also being used to engage and involve all stakeholders, including the public, and run demonstration open days.

Eleanor’s PhD project enabled her to explore the feasibility, reliability (data quality), value and sustainability of citizen science in catchment science. She worked closely with small rural communities, including Haltwhistle and Acomb. The project stimulated interest and impact on a local to national level. The project also included the high profile ‘kerplunk’ natural flood management scheme.

Key skills and research interests

  • Hydrology - flood risk management
  • Hydrometric monitoring
  • Hydraulic / hydrological modelling
  • Community engagement and involvement (citizen science)
  • Nature-based solutions: green infrastructure and natural flood management
  • Science outreach

Qualifications

PhD Civil Engineering (Newcastle University, 2018). Thesis title: Community-based ('citizen science') monitoring for catchment characterisation, modelling and management.

MSc Hydrology and Climate Change (Newcastle University, 2011) - Distinction

BSc (Hons) Physical Geography (Newcastle University, 2010) - First Class

Memberships

Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (Graduate member)

British Hydrological Society (BHS)

Previous positions

2017-2019: Flood Modeller and NFM Consultant (Analyst), JBA Consulting, North Yorkshire.

2013-2017: Teaching Assistant & Demonstrator, Newcastle University.

2012-2013: Assistant Environmental Consultant, RAB Consultants, County Durham.

2011-2012: Technical Engineer, Weetwood, Leeds.

Twitter / LinkedIn

@StarkeyEle

@HaltwhistleBurn

@NGIF_UK

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/eleanorstarkey 

COP26 climate summit outputs

Working with nature (cities) video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exk7yQYhG5M 

Ensuring our climate research is accessible to all: https://from.ncl.ac.uk/research-cop26-newcastle-university-accessible-climate-research

Uncharted waters: preserving our most vital resource (published by Sainsburys): https://bit.ly/3DhN2V9

Research

Haltwhistle Burn Citizen Science project: https://research.ncl.ac.uk/haltwhistleburn/  

UKCRIC National Green Infrastructure Facility: https://www.ukcric.com/facilities/national-green-infrastructure-facility/ | https://linktr.ee/NGIF_UK

NERC PYRAMID (Platform for dYnamic, hyper-resolution, near-real time flood Risk AssessMent Integrating repurposed and novel Data sources) with focus on work package 1 - stakeholder engagement and citizen science, and lead the collaboration with stakeholders and citizens to co-produce the platform, as both data sources and end users of PYRAMID.

UpStream - Community-led monitoring to improve water quality in the UK and Taiwan https://research.ncl.ac.uk/upstream/ 



Teaching

I support various water related undergraduate and postgraduate modules through teaching, demonstrating and hands-on fieldwork. For example:

CEG8524 Water Management: Issues and Challenges (Community Involvement)

KE5029 Green cities and nature-based solutions (Northumbria University)

KE5029 - Green cities and nature-based solutions

Publications