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Dr Tania Leimbach is a course convener from ADA’s School of Humanities & Languages and a member of the Environment & Society Group. Before moving into academia as a social researcher, Tania was an artist and designer, and her creative practice continues to inform her academic work. Tania has experience working across industry and the not-for-profit sector, and her professional relationships have shaped her critical perspectives on climate justice and intergenerational equity.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am an education-focused academic, and as a member of the Environment & Society Group, I convene several courses in the  (MEM), a program focused on nourishing tomorrow's change-makers in restoratively rethinking and reshaping the world. Previously I taught in the MEM on a casual basis and my first role was to design a new course called ‘Climate Crisis and Action’. This course provides a critical perspective on the intersections of climate and social justice, as well as social movements and transition theory, which underpin a lot of my own research now.Ìý

I have always been interested in the dynamics between human cultures and the living world. I’m a systems thinker by nature. I began my career as an artist and designer, and later in life realised I wanted to focus on research and bring my creativity into academic work.Ìý

During my PhD at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) within the (ISF), I became acutely aware of the sustainability challenges that define life in the 21st century. My doctoral research focused on cultural institutions, particularly public museums and galleries, and how such organisations present contested environmental issues, such as climate change through the development of exhibitions, public programs and education.Ìý

Since completing my thesis, I’ve had several teaching roles in higher education. I’ve also contributed to diverse projects, and worked in a research capacity for local government, regenerative agriculture NGO , and Indigenous-led social enterprise . I’m an experienced social researcher and I have delivered program monitoring and evaluation and social impact assessments, using a range of qualitative methods, including ethnography, case studies and focus groups.

What sparked your interest in this area of research?

The spark for my PhD was a curiosity about the place of art in contemporary society and the legacy of artists who engaged with environmental politics; people like Joseph Beuys and The Harrison Studio, and Australian artists such as Lucas Ihlein and the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation. People who take big creative risks have always fascinated me. I believe that art and science are more closely connected than our society generally acknowledges. There is scope for engaging the creative arts in imaginative problem solving, and for processing complex emotions in a time of climate disruption.Ìý

What are you working on right now?

I spend a lot of time working on course design and delivery in my role as convenor. I need to cover a lot of content with a diverse mix of literature, so that keeps me very busy. But I also have an allocation for research, and I’m in the process of publishing a few articles now. One project is focused on curating climate change in museums and how we might reimagine industrial heritage in a time of energy transition. Another is focused on effective environmental communication strategies in the contemporary hybrid media landscape. Another looks at arts-science collaboration through a project calledÌýCarbon_Dating, which isÌýfocused on native grasses and what we have named plant-human ‘communities of care’.

I also actively support youth-led climate solutions and the empowerment of young people, while building skills and knowledge for educators in how to effectively address climate change in formal and informal settings.

What do you find most rewarding about being a researcher?

I really value the opportunity to continue to learn through my research and teaching. This leads me to the most rewarding part of my work - the inspiring people I encounter and collaborate with.

An early example I can point to is when I was completing my PhD. This experience helped me understand that the way problems are framed is central to how we attempt to solve them. I honed my critical thinking and learnt so much from the HDR community that I was a part of, and I continue to appreciate the perspectives I gained on contemporary research, working across disciplines and applying systems thinking to understand things like the energy sector, food security, circular economy and regenerative agricultural practices. It’s all relevant to my teaching and research now and how I conceptualise socio-ecological and socio-technical systems.Ìý

Another instance of positive collaboration is when I was teaching into the School of Communication at UTS and working with great colleagues on a range of subjects relating to environmental politics and climate justice. I have been affiliated with the UTS Climate, Society, and Environment Research Centre (C-SERC) for a few years. These professional relationships helped to shape my understanding of geo-politics and the asymmetries we see across the world. With the unfolding realities of climate change, it is the vulnerable front-line communities that are most directly impacted, and this is certainly the case for our close neighbours across Oceania.

In the last couple of years, I have really enjoyed getting to know new colleagues at Â鶹Éçmadou. I find it intriguing to learn about other people’s research interests and projects.Ìý

What piece of advice would you give to someone who is considering or about to transition into academia?

A year after I completed my PhD, I had a baby and started a family. In the scheme of charting an academic career path, it wasn’t ideal timing! I have no regrets about having a baby at all. But I would encourage other ECRs to spend time thinking about your future life and mapping out dreams and goals alongside work, to ensure you can fit everything in and maximise opportunities as they come.Ìý

To learn more aboutÌýDr Tania Leimbach's research, projects and achievements, visit herÌýResearcher Profile.