Thomas obtained a BSc in Geography at the University of Bristol in 2012. Under the ESRC 1+3 studentship award at the University of Bristol, he then completed a MSc in Human Geography in 2013 and a PhD in 2018 entitled “An Ethology of Technics: Concepts and Experiments with Technological Affects”. He taught at undergraduate and postgraduate level at the University of Bristol between 2013 and 2017. He was a tutor in human geography in the Department of Geography at Swansea University between February and June 2018 before joining UNSW Canberra in July 2018.
Thomas’ research intersects Cultural Geography and process philosophies, and engages with problems involving human-technology relationships. He has expertise in the philosophy of technology, digital geographies, smart urbanism, post-humanism and affect theory.
His research investigates a number of societal matters of concern: from the ethical issues posed by the influence of digital technologies on human behaviour, to the impact of artificial intelligence in transforming smart city spaces, to the political questions opened up by the changing forms of social interaction occurring Online in an age of Platform Capitalism.
Thomas is a member of The Difference Laboratory – an interdisciplinary network of researchers from UNSW Canberra, the Australian National University and University of Bristol. He serves on UNSW Canberra's Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel. He is a member of the Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team (SAT) and a mentor based within the Women in STEM mentoring program, both of which combat inequalities associated with University career opportunities. Thomas is a member of the Institute of Australian Geographers Cultural and Urban Geography Research Group. His work has been published in the journals Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers and Cultural Geographies.
My Teaching:
ZPEM1201 Geography 1A: Human and Physical Geography: Convener and lecturer for Year 1 Human Geography course (14 weeks; cohort: 80) on a wide range of key geographical themes across human geography, including the history of geography as a discipline, geopolitics and Imperialism, landscape, nature/culture, wilderness, sexuality, indigeneity, and the concept of ‘nature’ as a key leitmotif in structuring the production of geographical knowledge. Successful design and delivery of two new Field Schools investigating key socio-cultural sites relevant to the course.
ZPEM1202 Geography 1B: Re-Writing the World: Convener and lecturer for Year 1 Human Geography course (14 weeks; cohort: 80) on advanced key geographical concepts, including post-humanism, ecology, creative cities, smart cities, naturecultures, technological spacetimes and relationality; writing, delivery and invigilation of assessments.
ZPEM3202 Cultural Geography: Delivery of Year 3 seminar on the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and the concepts of bodies, mediators, desire and conflict.
ZPEM4205 Human Geography Honours Special Topic: Seminarian for this Honours research project course on project design, and the strengths and limitations of contemporary geographical methods.
ZPEM3208 Geographic Research Methods: Undergraduate training in geographical techniques and skills involving a research project on Smart Cities based in Canberra.
ZPEM3221 Special Topics in Geography: Year 2 seminar course introducing new research agendas in human geography research, including: development, the socio-technical, the political and the cultural.
