Rate My Professor Amanda Davies

Professor Amanda Davies serves as Head of the School of Social Sciences and Professor of Geography at the University of Western Australia, where she holds the distinction of being the youngest person appointed as a full professor of Geography and the first female Head of the School. She earned her Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Western Australia and her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of New England. Davies has undertaken further studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oxford University, the University of Melbourne, and Victoria University of Wellington. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles including board membership on the University of Western Australia Publishing, Academic Board, Academic Council, University College Hall, and Planning and Transport Research Centre. She is also a member of key committees such as the UWA Curriculum and Admissions Committee, Education Committee, Generative AI Committee, Strategic Enterprise Education Council, Academic Quality and Standards Committee, and Promotions Committee.

A social scientist with expertise in demography, population geography, and rural and regional development, Professor Davies' research focuses on population growth, distribution, and patterns of demographic change, particularly in response to economic, social, or climatic challenges. As an applied researcher, she collaborates closely with industry and government to provide timely information for policy-making and serves as one of Australia's leading public commentators on population and demographic issues. Her key publications include 'Geographies of Ageing: Social Processes and the Spatial Unevenness of Population Ageing' (2016, with A. James), 'Pandemic Cities: The COVID-19 Crisis and Australian Urban Regions' (2022, with S. Baum, E. Baker, J. Stone, and E. Taylor), 'COVID-19 and ICT-Supported Remote Working: Opportunities for Rural Economies' (2021), 'Recognising the Value of Volunteers in Performing and Supporting Leadership in Rural Communities' (2021, with L. Lockstone-Binney and K. Holmes), and 'Economic Diversity and Regional Socioeconomic Performance: An Empirical Analysis of the Western Australian Grain Belt' (2010, with M. Tonts). Davies is a Fellow of the Institute of Australian Geographers (2017) and currently leads major projects funded by the Australian Research Council, Volunteering Australia, CRC TiME, and the Feilman Foundation, addressing topics such as rural volunteering roadmaps, mining region transitions, digital infrastructure, and waterways.