Brian Martin

Qualifications

PhD (theoretical physics), University of Sydney, 1976

MSc qualifying (first class honours equivalent), Physics, University of Sydney, 1970

BA (physics), Rice University, 1969

Positions held

Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong (2007- )

Associate professor (1997-2007), senior lecturer (1991-96) and lecturer (1986-1991), Science, Technology and Society, University of Wollongong

Research assistant/associate, Applied Mathematics, Australian National University, 1977-1985

Research assistant, Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, 1976

Research

The central theme in my research is the dynamics of power, with special attention to strategies for challenging repression and exploitation. I have explored power dynamics through an interplay of theory and case studies, including nonviolent action, dissent and scientific controversies.

Research areas include strategies to oppose injustice; nonviolence and social defence; whistleblowing; suppression of dissent in science; controversies over nuclear power, fluoridation, pesticides, nuclear winter and origin of AIDS; technological vulnerability; values in science; environmental politics; institutional roots of war; plagiarism and educational methods; democratic alternatives to representative government; information alternatives; critique of experts. Earlier scientific work was in stratospheric modelling and numerical methods; astrophysics; and wind power and electricity grids.

Publications

Author of 12 books and over 200 major articles and chapters. For more details and full texts, see http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/.

University administration

Member of numerous committees at the university, faculty and programme level. Initiatives taken on research support, curriculum, research management, plagiarism and sexual harassment. More details available.

Editorial boards

Editorial Advisory Board, Plagiary: Cross-Disciplinary Studies in Plagiarism, Fabrication, and Falsification, 2005-

Editorial Advisory Board, Public Understanding of Science, 2004-

Editorial Board, Social Alternatives, 2002-

Editorial Board, Anarchist Studies, 1993-

Advisory Board, Philosophy and Social Action, New Delhi, 1985-

Memberships

International Council, Freedom to Care [British whistleblowers group], 2004-

Society for Social Studies of Science, 1992- ; Elected member of Council, 1992-1995

International Peace Research Association, 1990-

Advisory Committee, Civilian-based Defense Association, USA, 1989-

Advisory Research Panel, Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research, Sweden, 1986-2007

Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science, 1986-2002

Professional and community activities

President of Whistleblowers Australia, Inc., 1996-1999; International Director, 2000-

Chair of the Board of Management, Illawarra Citizen Advocacy, Inc. [a disability service funded by the federal government], 1997-2007

Leader in community research projects, Canberra Peacemakers, 1980-1985, and Schweik Action Wollongong, 1986-

Member of university sexual harassment committees, 1984-1998

Co-organiser of Dissent Network Australia, 1993-

Activist in radical science, environmental and peace groups, 1970s and 1980s

Research trips and conference appearances: highlights

Keynote speaker, 3rd Asia-Pacific Conference on Educational Integrity: Creating a Culture of Integrity, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 7 December 2007.

Invited speaker, Conference on Peace in North-East Asia, Seoul, Korea, 28 June 2005

Senior scholar, Virginia Tech STS workshop on Technologies/moralities: the ethical grammar of technological systems, 27-29 March 2003

Keynote speaker, Symposium on Nonviolence Research, University of Trømso, Norway, 29-30 November 2002

Invited speaker, Royal Society discussion meeting on origins of HIV and the AIDS epidemic, London, 11-12 September 2000

Invited speaker, International Conference on Science, Technology and Society, Tokyo-Hiroshima-Kyoto, March 1998

Speaking tour (4 talks), Japan, May 1994

Speaking tour (3 talks), Netherlands, May 1993

Speaking tour (8 talks), Italy, April-May 1991

Keynote speaker, Conference on Nonviolent Struggle and Social Defence, Bradford, England, April 1990

Full list of talks

Teaching

Approach to teaching and recent subject outlines

Supervision

Subjects taught (since 1986)

Communication and the information society
Computers in society
The dynamics of science and technology
The environmental context
Free speech in an information society
Information and communication theories
Introduction to peace and war studies
Media, war and peace
On the margins of science
The politics of medicine and health
The politics of risk
The politics of technological change
Science and the media
Science, technology and progress
Scientific and technological controversy
Studies in resource and environmental policy
Technological change in Australia
Technology and the modern industrial society
Technological change in Australia
Technology and economics

Autobiographical information

Suppression Stories (1997): a personal account of learning about suppression of dissent

The individual, a chapter in Uprooting War (1984): my personal background and experience as an activist

Feet of endurance (2004): on running to work

A passion for planning (2001)

Efficient filing: a personal account (2006): how I organise my research files

The goal of self-managed science (1980), including some personal comments