Mia Bennett is an Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is currently a British Academy Visiting Fellow at University College London’s Center for Outer Space Studies. Her research spans the geopolitics of development and infrastructure in primarily the Arctic as well as outer space. At the University of Washington, Bennett teaches courses in GIS and remote sensing, where she emphasizes teaching “in a way that encourages critical thinking and thinking about how these tools can benefit certain groups of people and what harms they might also present,” she explained.

Bennett’s global academic interests began in her undergraduate years at UCLA, where she majored in political science and European studies. In 2009, she spent a semester abroad at Sciences Po in Paris. She was drawn to the school’s focus on political science and international relations, saying “I thought it would kind of check all my boxes.” She immersed herself in the French academic environment, taking most of her classes in French and appreciated learning political science and IR from a new perspective. Bennett recalled the oral presentations where students constructed arguments and problematized them, which helped her to build critical thinking skills. Additionally, she enjoyed the experience of living in Paris and fondly remembered a geography-focused bookstore near Sciences Po, where she discovered an atlas of the polar regions that connected to her lifelong interest in the region. 

After graduating Bennett worked as a recruiter at a high frequency trading company in New York City for a few years before returning to academia. She continued to find geography’s integration of studying the environment, resources, and politics both intuitive and compelling. This led to Bennett pursuing an MPhil in Polar Studies at Cambridge University. “One of my favorite aspects about Cambridge was that they have a dedicated polar research institute. So that was the main appeal from to be among like-minded polar scientists,” she said. After graduating, she returned to UCLA for a PhD in geography. 

Bennett’s research has since taken her across the Arctic, from Canada and Alaska to Russia and the Nordic countries. She engages with a wide range of perspectives, from those of Indigenous organizations to government officials. She seeks to “understand the development that's taking place against the backdrop of not only rapid climate change, but also the increased militarization, globalization and interests including everything from tourism to minerals.” 

In addition to writing papers and running a blog on the Arctic, called Cryopolitics, Bennett recently co-authored a book with political geographer Klaus Dodds titled Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic. It was written for a wide audience and contextualizes current geopolitical and ecological changes in the region with a historical lens. “It’s been a steep learning curve for me, but I feel happy with the finished product and inspired to write a second book now,” she said. Writing her recent book and spending several months in Norway with the support of  a Fulbright Arctic Initiative scholarship renewed her passion in the Arctic, though she has also has interest in new frontiers and regions like outer space. 

Looking back, Bennett highlights the importance of pursuing genuine interests. “I’ve never been a person who studied things because they would get me a job. I’ve just always studied things because I’m interested in them, and that has paid off. Of course, it’s always been a mixture of luck as well, but I think hard work and passion will go a long way.” She encourages students to follow their dreams, take risks, and embrace opportunities to go abroad. “The world is your oyster,” she said. “Going abroad and traveling was so eye opening. I think if you can do that, definitely take advantage.”

For more information on Bennett’s new book, Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic, visit: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300259995/unfrozen/ 

Cryopolitics blog: https://www.cryopolitics.com/