Rate My Professor Michael Whelan

Whelan's research interests centre on work-integrated learning (WIL), graduate employability, and environmental science topics including estuaries, plant communities, riparian vegetation, and land use change. Notable publications include 'Conservation Atlas of Plant Communities in Australia' (1995, cited 115 times), 'A Physical Classification of Australian Estuaries' (1999, cited 86 times), 'Academic Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): Reengaging Teaching-Focused Academics with Industry' (2017), 'Road Testing Graduate Attributes and Course Learning Outcomes of an Environmental Science Degree via a Work-Integrated Learning Placement' (2017), and 'Soil Erosion Response to Land Use Change in a Mountainous Rural Area of Son La Province of Vietnam' (2022). In 2020, he received the Australian Awards for University Teaching Citation for enhancing student employability in Environmental Science through curriculum innovations involving employer engagement and compulsory Geographical Information Systems training, which increased graduate employability by over 50 percent. Over 80 percent of his internship cohorts receive job offers from placement hosts, with alumni employed worldwide in aquaculture, national parks, environmental consulting, government, and high-tech laboratories. Whelan has served on the board of the Australian Collaborative Education Network, contributing to the national WIL strategy.