A Professor of Geography, my own research is motivated by trying to understand the conditions in which people flourish in place, in their movements, in daily life, and over the life-course. In 2021, I was honoured to be the Institute of Australian Geographers’ recipient of the Griffith Taylor Medal in recognition of distinguished contributions to Geography in Australia. I was Head of the School of Geography and Environmental Studies from mid-2005 to the end 2013; inaugural Director of the Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment from mid-2015 to April 2017; and a research professor in the Institute for the Study of Social Change from April 2017 to December 2019. I returned to the College of Sciences and Engineering in January 2020 to lead first the School of Technology, Environments and Design and then the three Schools that have been created from STED in 2021. Prior to coming to the University of Tasmania, I taught at University of New South Wales (Canberra) and before then was engaged in casual teaching and doctoral research at the University of Adelaide, where my PhD was awarded without amendment. I began my academic career at 22 as a tutor in geography at Flinders University, where I was awarded the University Medal and a first class honours degree, having majored in geography and visual art history and theory. See https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/cose-ted/elaine-stratford for more information.

PhD Student - digital design

I am a political scientist, lecturer and researcher specialised in political engagement of the African diaspora in host countries such as the UK and France, transnational political engagement towards homeland politics in Anglophone and Francophone Africa . My research interest is equally focused on returnee diaspora political and economic engagement in homeland development. My specific countries of research are Ghana, Nigeria, La Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal. My research thematics equally focuses on the Black Atlantic diaspora history, particularly the historic linkages between Ghana and the French Antilles.

Mr. Vinayak Subhash Lashkar is working as an Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Sociology at Anekant Education Society’s, Tuljaram Chaturchand College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Baramati, Pune. Presently he is engage as an Expert Committee Member on Establishment of Independent Study Center for Denotified and Nomadic Tribes of India in Savitribai Phule Pune University. He is also a former Expert Committee Member on National Commission for De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. He is also a former Five Year Perspective Plan Committee Member on Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra India. He has completed his M. Phil research work on ‘Sociological Study of Wadar Community in Pune City’ at Department of Sociology, SPPU, Pune. He has a huge experience of working as a Research Co-ordinator, Project Assistant, Research Associate, Field Work Co-ordinator and Documentation Co-ordinator with various Government Projects, University Grant Commission Projects and NGO support programs. His areas of expertise include Teaching, Research, Documentation, Data Analysis, Field Work, Translation, Training, and Evaluation. His sectors of specialization are in the subject of Sociology of Caste, Sociology of Tribe, Social and Cultural Anthropology and Gender Studies. He has presented paper and published various articles in international, national and state level conference/ seminars and journals/ books covering a wide range of topics, including issues of Denotified and Nomadic Tribes in India. His research areas include on Denotified and Nomadic tribes, Internal Security of India, Human Rights of DNT’s, Development Issues, Social Anthropology, and Sociological Studies. He is also an active member of academic bodies and nongovernmental organizations. He is also actively participated in workshop, seminar and conferences which are covering the social issues.