Rate My Professor Liam Phelan

Associate Professor Liam Phelan serves as Associate Professor in Sustainability Science within the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle's College of Engineering, Science and Environment. His academic background includes a PhD in Environment and Geography from Macquarie University awarded in 2011 for his thesis titled "The relationship between anthropogenic climate change and the insurance system: Imperatives, options, and reflections on theory." He also holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours from the University of New South Wales, a Graduate Certificate in the Practice of Tertiary Teaching from the University of Newcastle in 2009, and is currently completing a Master of Leadership and Management in Education at the University of Newcastle. Phelan joined the University of Newcastle in 2004, progressing through roles including Senior Lecturer and Conjoint Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. He has served as Convenor for the Bachelor of Science and Master of Studies programs. Additionally, from 2014 to 2021, he was a Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.

Phelan's research focuses on sustainability, with particular emphasis on the intersections of climate change, finance, human rights, and ecological sustainability, as well as the governance of the Earth system as a complex adaptive system. Notable publications include the co-authored book Criminology and Climate Insurance, Finance and the Regulation of Harmscapes (2020) with Cameron Holley and Clifford Shearing; book chapters such as "Insurance and Climate Change" (2020), "Quantifying Changing Climate Risks and Built Environments in Australia: Implications for Lenders, Insurers and Regulators" (2021), and "Energy Transition in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales" (2025); and peer-reviewed journal articles including "Delphi and Deliberation: Engaging Community Expertise to Inform Post-Mining Land Use in the Hunter Valley, Australia" (2025, with K. Crofts) and "Collaboratively Crafting Learning Standards for Tertiary Education for Environment and Sustainability" (2024, with B. McBain et al.). He has secured competitive research and teaching grants totaling $367,865, including as lead investigator on the 2014 Office for Learning and Teaching grant valued at $219,552 for Learning and Teaching Academic Standards in Environment and Sustainability. Among his honors are the 2011 Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence and the Newcastle University Postgraduate Students' Association Online Teacher of the Year Award. Phelan teaches courses in environmental studies, development studies, and geography, specializing in online postgraduate programs and fostering students' sense of belonging in learning communities. He has supervised four PhD theses to completion between 2022 and 2024.