Professor Lyn Carson
Honorary Professor of Civic Engagement
http://www.activedemocracy.net/
Carson was the founding Academic Program Director of the Centre and is now one of its Adjunct Professors. She is currently Professor in applied politics, with the Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy at the University of Western Sydney. She was responsible for the design and implementation of the Master of US Studies, the Master of Letters in US Studies, undergraduate units of study, the research program, the research seminar series, scholarships, internships and the Australian academic network.
Carson was a local government representative of Lismore City Council in eastern Australia from 1991 to 1995. During that time she developed a particular interest in participatory techniques that can capture voices missing from typical community consultation processes. She is now experienced with the design and coordination of public deliberation methods that are highly representative of the entire population.
Carson is the author, with Brian Martin, of Random Selection in Politics and her substantive area of research is deliberative, inclusive democracy - both in theory and in practice. Her major research projects are both local and international; currently they include (a) Australia's first Citizens' Parliament (an ARC-Linkage project with new Democracy) and (b) an international collaboration with International Association for Public Participation funded by Kettering Foundation (USA) which is examining public participation across the world.
She teaches Dialogue, Deliberation & Public Engagement, simultaneously with Fielding Graduate University in the US, and continues to co-teach Social Entrepreneurship for the Centre. She maintains an active democracy website where some of her many publications can be found.
