Adams, Michael J. Associate Professor

Since 2010 I have been Associate Editor for Conservation and Society. In 2009 I was appointed to the World Commission on Protected Areas and the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN – the largest global conservation organisation). Also in 2009, I was appointed to UOW’s Environmental Advisory Committee. I am a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and the International Geographical Union Commission on Indigenous Peoples Knowledges and Rights. I have acted as a national assessor for the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching awards, and I am an accredited UOW Peer Reviewer of Teaching. I am active as a mentor in the AIME mentoring program, and have supported many students through Aurora Project internships.

In 2015 I taught GEOG334 Uncertain Islands, taking students to the Andaman Islands, India on a two week fieldwork intensive. This will continue in 2017. For ten years I taught INDS201 Redefining Eden: Indigenous Peoples and the Environment. I also contributed lectures to INDS150 Introduction to Indigenous Australia, and INDS130 Introduction to Comparative Indigenous Studies. These were all taught to Wollongong and regional campuses. I regularly lead field trips for visiting international academics and Study Abroad students.

I am interested in experiential and participatory learning. My teaching engages with subjects that are controversial, sensitive and highly relevant nationally and internationally, including critical unresolved issues around entrenched racism and environmental crisis. I have mentored numerous Indigenous students through science and other degrees, and mentored many graduates into professional careers. Several of these graduates have won prestigious awards, including the Robert Hope Memorial Prize (J. Kitchener 2013); the Ray Kelly Scholarship (R. Evitt 2009); the NSW Indigenous History Fellowship (Evitt 2010); and the Illawarra Prize in 4th Year Earth & Environmental Sciences (V. Cavanagh 2008).

My research (and teaching) engages with human-nature relationships. I have completed extensive research on shared governance arrangements between government conservation agencies and Indigenous communities in national parks and World Heritage Areas, including direct contributions to policy development. Other research has examined Indigenous and local knowledge systems and how these interact with Western knowledge frameworks, as well as the cultural dimensions of hunting, especially around knowledge, respect and sacredness. My current research examines freediving as a means of relationship with our Blue Planet. I am also interested in the theory and practice of transformational learning experiences.

Methodologically, I like ‘full-immersion fieldwork’, getting deeply and actively involved in the human and non-human lives and landscapes I research. I have worked with Indigenous and other communities across Australia, in arctic Scandinavia, Indonesia, the United States and in India. Prior to joining academia, I have 20 years of professional experience that integrates teaching, research, professional and community roles. I have worked for community-based organisations, NGOs, government agencies, Indigenous organisations, and as a consultant. This experience continues to facilitate strong industry and community linkages that benefit both teaching and research.

Since 2010 I have been Associate Editor for Conservation and Society. In 2009 I was appointed to the World Commission on Protected Areas and the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN – the largest global conservation organisation). Also in 2009, I was appointed to UOW’s Environmental Advisory Committee. I am a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, and the International Geographical Union Commission on Indigenous Peoples Knowledges and Rights. I have acted as a national assessor for the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching awards, and I am an accredited UOW Peer Reviewer of Teaching. I am active as a mentor in the AIME mentoring program, and have supported many students through Aurora Project internships.

In 2015 I taught GEOG334 Uncertain Islands, taking students to the Andaman Islands, India on a two week fieldwork intensive. This will continue in 2017. For ten years I taught INDS201 Redefining Eden: Indigenous Peoples and the Environment. I also contributed lectures to INDS150 Introduction to Indigenous Australia, and INDS130 Introduction to Comparative Indigenous Studies. These were all taught to Wollongong and regional campuses. I regularly lead field trips for visiting international academics and Study Abroad students.

I am interested in experiential and participatory learning. My teaching engages with subjects that are controversial, sensitive and highly relevant nationally and internationally, including critical unresolved issues around entrenched racism and environmental crisis. I have mentored numerous Indigenous students through science and other degrees, and mentored many graduates into professional careers. Several of these graduates have won prestigious awards, including the Robert Hope Memorial Prize (J. Kitchener 2013); the Ray Kelly Scholarship (R. Evitt 2009); the NSW Indigenous History Fellowship (Evitt 2010); and the Illawarra Prize in 4th Year Earth & Environmental Sciences (V. Cavanagh 2008).