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Doctor

Vishnu Prahalad

Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography

Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences

Orcid identifier0000-0002-3547-616X
  • Senior Lecturer in Physical Geography
    Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences
  • +61 3 6226 2989 (Fax)
  • +61 3 6226 7674 (Work)
  • School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, Geography, Planning and Spatial Sciences, GEO428 GPSS Building, Sandy Bay Campus, TAS

BIO

Vishnu is a geographer with research interests including saltmarsh and wetland ecology, science communication, community engagement, environmental planning and management, systems thinking, and political economy. His teaching, research and outreach is mission-oriented, place-based, and inter-disciplinary, delivering science and engagement to support conservation, and sustainability outcomes. This work has been recognised by recent awards from institutional, state, and national organisations, and he has been regularly featured on media, community events, advisory boards, and invited talks. Vishnu is the Course Coordinator of our flagship undergraduate degree – Bachelor of Natural Environment and Conservation (BNEC).

Biography

Vishnu has been at the University of Tasmania since 2007. He moved to Hobart (Tasmania) from a career in engineering and information technology based in Bangalore, India to undertake his Masters in Applied Science (Environmental Studies). After his Masters, Vishnu began his substantive academic journey in 2010, both as a casual lecturer and a contract researcher. He has held his current full-time position since mid-2018, after the completion of his PhD which we undertook between 2013 and 2018 alongside teaching. Vishnu has set up a not-for-profit enterprise called Living Wetlands with the mission to support wetlands related science communication that connects his research work with community engagement activities. A notable milestone in his research is the publication of the book: A Guide to the Plants of Tasmanian Saltmarsh Wetlands, in 2015. And he runs an active citizen science platform accessible via Saltmarsh Matters App.

Memberships

Vishnu has variously been a member of and has contributed to:

Australian Coastal Society (Tasmanian Division)
Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network
BirdLife Tasmania
Ecological Society of Australia
Society for Ecological Restoration
Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ)
International Society for Ecological Economics
Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association (India)

Contracting/Consultancy Services

Vishnu has provided contracting and consultancy services since 2008 in:

Wetlands habitat mapping (GIS), classification and inventory development
Saltmarsh restoration planning, monitoring and scientific reporting
Conservation planning, management and advocacy of wetland ecosystems
Environmental education/science communication material, community engagement activities

MEDIA

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DEGREES

  • PhD
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia2018
  • Master of Applied Science
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia2009
  • Bachelor of Engineering
    Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India2004

LANGUAGES

  • English
    Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review
  • Tamil
    Can read, write, speak and understand
  • Telugu
    Can speak and understand

SCHOOL AND PORTFOLIO

  • School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences

FIELD OF RESEARCH