Academics & Experts
The academics and experts who teach, research and offer commentary for the United States Studies Centre include some of the world's leading scholars on the United States, spanning fields including US politics, national security, contemporary media and culture, welfare policy, anti-Americanism, health care, business innovation, history and urban planning.
Professors
- Howard Bamsey, AM
Adjunct Professor in Climate Change and Energy Security - Roger Benjamin
Professor of Art History - Edward Blakely
Honorary Professor in Urban Policy & disaster recovery expert - Lyn Carson
Honorary Professor of Civic Engagement - James Fallows
Visiting Professor & National Correspondent for The Atlantic - Geoffrey Garrett
Professor of Politics - Bates Gill
Professor of Politics - Murray Goot
Visiting Professor & ARC Australian Professorial Fellow at Macquarie University - Robert Hill, AC
Adjunct Professor in Sustainability - Michael Hiscox
Director of the STAR Lab at the US Studies Centre & Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University - Simon Jackman
Visiting Professor & Professor of Political Science at Stanford University - Margaret Levi
Chair in US Politics & Director of Research and Research Training at the US Studies Centre & Bacharach Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington - Susan Pond, AM
Adjunct Professor, Dow Sustainability Program - Russell Trood
Adjunct Professor, Defence and Security Program
Associate Professors
- Brendon O'Connor
Associate Professor in American Politics & Director of Teaching and Learning
Lecturers
- Adam Lockyer
Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy - Jane Park
Lecturer in Contemporary American Media - Rebecca Sheehan
Lecturer in US History - David Smith
Lecturer in American Politics and Foreign Policy - Rodney Taveira
Lecturer in US Studies
Research Associates
- John Ahlquist
Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison - Thomas Barlow
Research strategist specialising in science and technological innovation - John Barron
ABC NewsRadio drive-time host - James Curran
Research Associate in the History of the US-Australia Alliance - Leah Farrall
Research Associate in Counter Terrorism - Sean Gallagher
Researcher specialising in American higher education - Pete Hatemi
Researching the neurobiological mechanisms of social and political behaviours - Nicole Hemmer
Research Associate - Andrea Koch
Program Leader, Soil Carbon Initiative - Rebecca Nelson
Lead Researcher, Comparative Groundwater Law and Policy Program at Stanford - Marc Palen
Research Associate - Jamie Pittock
Research Associate, Climate-Energy-Water Nexus project - NIna Silove
Researcher specialising in US grand strategy - Tom Switzer
Editor of American Review
Tutors
- Gorana Grgic
PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of Sydney - Malcolm Jorgensen
PhD candidate in US Foreign Policy and International Law at the US Studies Centre - Nina Silove
DPhil candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford
Affiliated Academics
- Rowena Braddock
Lecturer, The American City - Bruce Isaacs
Lecturer, American Film & Hollywood - Kurt Iveson
Senior Lecturer, The American City - David Johnstone
Lecturer, US Financial Institutions and Culture - Martijn Konings
Lecturer, US Economic Policy & Regulation - Harry Melkonian
Lecturer, US Constitution - Michael Ondaatje
Lecturer, US Politics: Competing Centres of Power - Stephen Robertson
Lecturer, Key Issues in American Culture & USSC Research Associate -
Ian Tyrrell
Lecturer, American Exceptionalism
Professors

Professor Howard Bamsey, AM
Adjunct Professor in Climate Change and Energy Security
Howard Bamsey AM joined the Centre following his retirement as Deputy Secretary of the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Perhaps Australia's pre-eminent offic… more

Professor Roger Benjamin
Professor of Art History
Roger Benjamin trained in art history at the University of Melbourne and Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania. His research has focused on the art and theory of Matisse, French Orientalist painting, an… more

Professor Edward Blakely
Honorary Professor in Urban Policy & disaster recovery expert
http://www.blakelycitytalk.com/
Edward Blakely is Honorary Professor of Urban Policy at the US Studies Centre, having previously served for two years as Executive Director of the Office of Recovery and Development Administration, th… more

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 Pol… more

Professor James Fallows
Visiting Professor at the US Studies Centre & National Correspondent for The Atlantic
James Fallows is Visiting Professor at the US Studies Centre and National Correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly magazine. One of the world's leading journalists, Fallows is author of nine books and o… more

Professor Murray Goot
Visiting Professor & ARC Australian Professorial Fellow at Macquarie University
Murray Goot is an Australian Research Council Australian Professorial Fellow and Professor in the Department of Modern History, Politics, International Relations and Security at Macquarie University w… more

Professor Robert Hill, AC
Adjunct Professor in Sustainability
Robert Hill was a member of the Australian Senate from 1981 to 2006, representing South Australia. He was educated at the University of Adelaide and the London School of Economics, where he gained a m… more

Professor Michael Hiscox
Director of the STAR Lab at the US Studies Centre and Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University
Michael J. Hiscox is the Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University. He received his B. Econ. (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney in 1989 and his Ph.D in … more

Professor Simon Jackman
Visiting Professor at the US Studies Centre & Professor of Political Science at Stanford University
Simon Jackman is Professor of Political Science and (by courtesy) of Statistics at Stanford University. Jackmanʼs teaching and research centres on issues in democratic politics (public opinion, polit… more

Professor Margaret Levi
Chair in US Politics & Director of Research and Research Training at the US Studies Centre & Bacharach Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington
Phone: +61 2 9114 0580
A Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and former President of the American Political Science Association, Professor Margaret Levi took up her chair at the US Studies Centre in 2009. Sh… more

Professor Susan Pond, AM
Dow Sustainability Program
Dr Susan Pond AM FTSE is Adjunct Professor of the Dow Sustainability Program at the United States Studies Centre. Her area of interest is the development of the advanced transportation biofuels indust… more
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Professor Russell Trood
Adjunct Professor, Defence and Security Program
Russell Trood is an Adjunct Professor in the Defence and Security Program at the US Studies Centre and a Professor of International Relations at Griffith University. He is also President of the United… more
Associate Professors

Associate Professor Brendon O'Connor
Associate Professor in American Politics & Director of Teaching and Learning
Phone: +61 9036 9206
Brendon joined the United States Studies Centre in 2009 as Associate Professor in American Politics. He was previously with the Department of Politics and Public Policy at Griffith University.… more
Lecturers

Dr Adam Lockyer
Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy
Phone: +61 2 9036 7948
Dr Adam Lockyer is a lecturer in US politics and foreign policy at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.… more

Dr Jane Park
Lecturer in Contemporary American Media
Dr. Jane Chi Hyun Park has a Ph.D. in Radio-TV-Film from The University of Texas at Austin and a M.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine and previously worked in American Studi… more

Dr Rebecca Sheehan
Lecturer in US History
Phone: +61 2 9036 9208
Rebecca joined the United States Studies Centre as Lecturer in US History in September 2010. Prior to that she was one of the US Studies Centre’s first postdoctoral fellows cohort.… more

David Smith
Lecturer in American Politics and Foreign Policy
Dr David Smith is jointly appointed between the United States Studies Centre and the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Sydney. Smith has a PhD in political science from the … more

Rodney Taveira
Lecturer in US Studies
Rodney Taveira joined the United States Studies Centre in 2011. He was awarded his PhD in English from the University of Sydney in 2010. He was previously Lecturer in English at the University of New … more
Research Associates

Assistant Professor John Ahlquist
Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
John Ahlquist is assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as a research associate in political economy at the US Stu… more

Dr Thomas Barlow
Research strategist specialising in science and technological innovation
Thomas Barlow is Australia's leading research strategist. He provides independent policy advice to governments and strategic advice to high-tech companies, universities, and research organisations. Hi… more

John Barron
ABC NewsRadio host
John Barron is a Research Associate at the US Studies Centre and teaches a winter course in US campaign politics and the media.… more

Dr James Curran
Research Associate in the History of the US-Australia Alliance
Dr Curran teaches Australian history. His current research, funded by an ARC Discovery Project (2010-2012), explores the history of the Australia/US Alliance from Nixon's 1969 Guam Doctrine to the ear… more

Leah Farrall
Research Associate in Counter Terrorism
Leah Farrall is a Research Associate in Counter Terrorism at the US Studies Centre. She was a speaker at the US Studies Centre's National Summit in June 2011.… more

Dr Sean Gallagher
Chief Operating Officer
Phone: +61 2 9351 4601
Dr Sean Gallagher is Chief Operating Officer of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney where he is a Research Associate in Higher Education. Gallagher is a founding member of the… more

Associate Professor Peter Hatemi
Research Associate
Pete Hatemi is a research fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and Associate Professor of Political Science, Microbiology and Biochemistry at The Pennsylvania State U… more

Dr Nicole Hemmer
Research Associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney & Visiting Assistant Professor at University of Miami
Nicole Hemmer received her PhD in History from Columbia University in 2010. From 2008-2009, she was a fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, and from 2009-2011 sh… more

Andrea Koch
Program Leader, Soil Carbon Initiative
Andrea Koch is an experienced marketer and strategist. Her career experience includes twenty years in the telecommunications and media industries, with IBM, Optus, Optus Vision and News Interactive. S… more

Rebecca Nelson
Lead Researcher, Comparative Groundwater Law and Policy Program at Stanford
Rebecca is Lead Researcher, Comparative Groundwater Law and Policy Program at the Woods Institute for the Environment and the Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford University, a collaborati… more

Dr Marc Palen
Research Associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney & Lecturer at Tufts University, Massachusetts
Marc-William Palen received his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. During his time at the United States Studies Centre, he revised his book manuscript, The Conspiracy of Free Trade, for publi… more

Dr Jamie Pittock
Research Associate, Climate-Energy-Water Nexus project
Dr Jamie Pittock has a background in zoology and geography, and from 1989-2001 he worked for various non-government environmental organisations in Australia promoting nature conservation. In partic… more


Nina Silove
Researcher specialising in US grand strategy
Nina Silove is a DPhil candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford and a member of Merton College. Nina researches US strategic planning and grand strategy in the post-Cold War er… more

Tom Switzer
Research Associate and Editor of American Review
Tom Switzer is a research associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney where he teaches undergraduate courses in US politics, US foreign policy, US-Australia relations and… more
Tutors

Gorana Grgic
Tutor
Gorana is a PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of Sydney. Her thesis explores the link between dynamics of ethnonationalist mobilization and regional spread of conflicts. Her r… more

Malcolm Jorgensen
PhD Candidate
malcolm.jorgensen@sydney.edu.au
Phone: +61 2 9036 9055
Malcolm Jorgensen commenced his PhD in United States Foreign Policy and International Law in 2010 under the supervision of Associate Professor Brendon O’Connor and co-supervision of Professor Da… more

Nina Silove
Researcher specialising in US grand strategy
Nina Silove is a DPhil candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford and a member of Merton College. Nina researches US strategic planning and grand strategy in the post-Cold War er… more
Affiliated Academics

Dr Rowena Braddock
Lecturer, The American City
Rowena Braddock is an Honours graduate in arts and law from the University of Sydney.… more

Dr Bruce Isaacs
Lecturer, American Film & Hollywood
Bruce Isaacs has a PhD in Film Studies, with a focus on film aesthetics and culture. His research examines a wide range of film studies-related topics: histories of film (with a focus on Hollywood), f… more

Dr Kurt Iveson
Senior Lecturer
Phone: 02 9351 3627
Fax: 02 9351 3644
http://www.geosci.usyd.edu.au/people/st_iveson.shtml
Kurt is primarily interested in the question of how social justice can be achieved in cities. Within this broad interest, his research has focused on two main areas. First, he has examined the signifi… more

Professor David Johnstone
Chair of Finance
Phone: + 61 2 9036 5286
http://www.econ.usyd.edu.au/staff/davidj
Professor David Johnstone is a member of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Sydney. Professor Johnstone will be lecturing for the USSC in 2010 and teaching US Financial Institu… more

Dr Martijn Konings
Lecturer
http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/political/staff/martijn_konings.htm
Martijn Konings completed his PhD at York University in Toronto and is currently a lecturer in the department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney. He has published articles on American an… more

Dr Harry Melkonian
Lecturer, US Constitution
Dr Harry Melkonian is a practicing lawyer and legal educator. He has practiced law since 1975 and is licensed in England, New South Wales as well as New York and California in the USA. He has lectured… more

Dr Michael Ondaatje
Lecturer in US Politics
Dr Michael L. Ondaatje is Senior Lecturer in American History at the University of Newcastle (UoN), and a Research Associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.… more

Associate Professor Stephen Robertson
Lecturer, Key Issues in American Culture & USSC Research Associate
stephen.robertson@sydney.edu.au
Phone: +61 2 9351 3782
http://www-personal.arts.usyd.edu.au/sterobrt/
Associate Professor Stephen Robertson teaches a postgraduate unit, Key Issues in American Culture, for the US Studies Centre.… more

Professor Ian Tyrrell
Scientia Professor of History at the University of New South Wales
Ian Tyrrell is Scientia Professor of History at the University of New South Wales. Born in Brisbane, Queensland, he was educated at the University of Queensland and Duke University, where he was a Ful… more
See also:
VIDEOS & INTERVIEWS
Lobbyists are often blamed when legislation fails but Centre visitor Burdett A. Loomis says their negative impact is often overstated and that lobbying forms an important part of our modern democracy.
An armed attack during a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans has left 19 injured, but lecturer Adam Lockyer says it looks unlikely to progress the debate on gun reform in the US.




