Rate My Professor Deborah Kennedy

Deborah Kennedy is an academic affiliated with the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Murdoch University, where she works as a part-time teaching casual. Most of her contributions at the university center on teaching, with a particular focus on political economy. She is listed within the International Aid and Sustainable Development research cluster. Kennedy holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainability Policy from Murdoch University, awarded in 2007 for her thesis titled 'Ocean Views: An Investigation into Human-Ocean Relations.' This dissertation examines diverse human perspectives on the ocean and advocates for an ethical political framework that incorporates a multiplicity of ocean views to enhance ocean governance and relations. She also completed First Class Honours at Murdoch University. Earlier in her career, Kennedy was associated with the Department of Economics at Murdoch University, providing research assistance for the paper 'Structural Change in the Manufacturing Sectors of Indonesia and Malaysia' published in 1991.

Kennedy's research interests encompass human-ocean relationships, coastal sustainability, cultural models of the coast, marine spatial planning, and sustainable development. Her work explores how cultural constructions influence marine ethics, coastal ownership frameworks, and management practices. She has collaborated on projects utilizing Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) to address human dimensions in large marine parks and to identify conflict potentials in coastal and marine environments. Key publications include her PhD thesis (2007), co-authorship of 'Ecological-Economics of Biodiversity and Tropical Rainforest Deforestation' with Herb Thompson in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics (1996), and contributions to 'Cultural Models of the Coast in Australia' with Laura Stocker and Dora Marinova. Additional involvements include editing assistance for the 'Data & Information Gap Analysis for Coastal Hazard Risk Management' report and references in studies on social-cultural influences on coastal governance, awe-inspiring experiences in nature-based tourism, and trust-building in marine protected areas. Kennedy received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at Murdoch University.