Dr Robert Dyball

PhD (ANU)
Senior Lecturer
Associate Director (HDR)

Robert convenes the Human Ecology program at the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University. He is also visiting Professor at the College of Human Ecology, University of the Philippines Los Baños. His current research centres on the application of dynamic systems thinking to problems in Human Ecology and Sustainability Science more generally. He has been involved in a range of projects that focus on global food systems. He is the Food and Nutrition Security working group leader for the Sustainable Cities and Landscape hub of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. He is also involved with a range of activities around Education for Sustainability, and is particularly interested in the potential contribution of online modules to enhance international teaching and learning collaborations, particularly in partnership with regional developing nations.

Robert is President Emeritus of the international Society for Human Ecology (SHE). He is also Chair of the Human Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). He is editor of the journal Human Ecology Review. He is co-Chair of the ANU Humanities and Social Sciences Delegated Ethics Review Committee (DERC). He has also been academic advisor to Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS). He has been awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (then 'Carrick') citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. With Barry Newell, he is author of Understanding Human Ecology published by Routledge (2105).

Research interests

  • Environmental Education And Extension
  • Environmental Science And Management
  • Other Studies In Human Society
  • Sustainable Agricultural Development.
  • Dyball, R, Bowser, G, Whipple, S et al. 2021, 'Collaborations and Moving Past COVID-19: The Human Ecology and Applied Ecology Sections', The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America (Online), vol. 101, no. 2.
  • Dyball, R, Davila Cisneros, F & Wilkes, B 2020, 'A Human Ecological Approach to Policy in the Context of Food and Nutrition Security', in Gary S Metcalf, Kyoichi Kijima & Hiroshi Deguchi (ed.), Handbook of Systems Science, Springer Singapore, Singapore, pp. 1-26.
  • Dyball, R 2018, 'Social Ecology in the Digital Age: Solving Complex Problems in a Globalized World', Human Ecology Review, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 173-178.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2019, Human Ecology Review, Volume 25, Issue 2, 2019.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2019, Human Ecology Review, Volume 25, Issue 1, 2019.
  • Tavares de Freitas, C, Macedo Lopes, P, Campos-Silva, J et al 2019, 'Co-management of culturally important species: A tool to promote biodiversity conservation and human well-being [IN PRESS]', People and Nature, vol. Online.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2018, Human Ecology Review, Volume 24 Number 2, 2018.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2018, Human Ecology Review: Volume 24, Number 1, 2018.
  • Davila Cisneros, F, Dyball, R & Amparo, J 2018, 'Transdisciplinary research for food and nutrition security: Examining research-policy understandings in Southeast Asia', Environmental Development Volume 28, December 2018, Pages 67-82 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2018.10.001
  • Dyball, R 2017, 'A Brief History of Human Ecology within the Ecological Society of America and Speculation on Future Direction.', Human Ecology Review, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 7-15pp.
  • Dyball, R & Carlsson, L 2017, 'Ellen Swallow Richards: Mother of Human Ecology?', Human Ecology Review, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 17-28.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2017, Human Ecology Review, Volume 23, Number 2
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2017, Human Ecology Review, Volume 23, Number 1, 2017.
  • Davila Cisneros, F & Dyball, R 2017, 'Food systems and human ecology', in Ariane Konig and Jerome Ravetz (ed.), Sustainability Science: Key issues, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, London.
  • Ingram, J, Dyball, R, Howden, M et al. 2016, 'Food Security, Food Systems, and Environmental Change', Solutions-for a sustainable and desirable future, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 63-73pp.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2016, Human Ecology Review, Volume 22, Number 2, 2016.
  • Dyball, R, Davila Cisneros, F & Konig, A 2016, 'Transforming the World by Transforming the University: Envisioning the University of 2040', Solutions Journal, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 12-16.
  • Richardson, K & Dyball, R 2016, 'Needed: New Knowledge for Sustainable Development', Solutions Journal, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 1-3.
  • Richardson, K, Dyball, R & Steffen, W 2016, 'How Will Future Historians Tell the Story of How We Are Tackling Climate Change', Solutions Journal, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 86-93.
  • Begossi, A, Clauzet, M & Dyball, R 2015, 'Fisheries, Ethnoecology, Human Ecology and Food Security: a review of concepts, collaboration and teaching', Seguranca Alimentar e Nutricional, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 574-590.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2015, Human Ecology Review, Volume 22, Number 1, 2015.
  • Dyball, R 2015, 'From industrial production to biosensitivity: the need for a food system paradigm shift', Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 5 (4) pp 560-572.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2015, Human Ecology Review, Volume 21, Number 1, 2015.
  • Dyball, R & Newell, B 2015, Understanding Human Ecology: A systems approach to sustainability, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, Oxon.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2015, Human Ecology Review, Volume 21, Number 2, 2015.
  • Turner, B, Pearson, D & Dyball, R 2014, 'Planning for Regional Food Security: A case-study of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)', Locale: The Pacific Journal of Regional Food Studies, no. 4, pp. 20-46.
  • Davila Cisneros, F & Dyball, R 2015, 'Transforming Food Systems Through Food Sovereignty: An Australian Urban Context', Australian Journal of Environmental Education, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 34-45.
  • Dyball, R, ed., 2014, Human Ecology Review, Volume 20, Number 2, 2014.
  • Pearson, C., Dyball, R 2014, 'City Food Security', in Leonie J. Pearson, Peter W. Newton, Peter Roberts (ed.), Resilient Sustainable Cities a future, Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 113-123.
  • Porter, J, Dyball, R, Dumaresq, D et al 2014, 'Feeding capitals: Urban food security and self-provisioning in Canberra, Copenhagen and Tokyo', Global Food Security, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-7.
  • Dyball, R & Cervemy, L, eds, 2013, Human Ecology Review, Volume 20, Number 1, 2013.
  • Wakefield-Rann, R & Dyball, R 2013, 'The Food Security of the Australian Capital Region', State of Australian Cities Conference 2013, ed. Kristian Ruming, Bill Randolph and Nicole Gurran, State of Australian Cities, Sydney, p. 11.
  • Deutsch, L, Dyball, R & Steffen, W 2013, 'Feeding Cities: food security and ecosystem support in an urbanizing world', in Thomas Elmqvist, Michail Fragkias, Julie Goodness (eds.), Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities A Global Assessment
    , Springer, Netherlands.
  • Dyball, R, Ives, C & White, I 2013, 'Regional Assessment of Oceania', in Thomas Elmqvist, Michail Fragkias, Julie Goodness, Burak Guneralp, et al (ed.), Urbanization, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Challenges and Opportunities - A Global Assessment, Springer, Netherlands, pp. 287-289.
  • Dyball, R. 2012, 'Human ecology', in Robin Kundis Craig, Bruce Pardy, John Copeland Nagle, Oswald Schmitz, & William (ed.), The Encyclopedia of Sustainability: Vol. 5. Ecosystem Management and Sustainability, Berkshire Publishing, Great Barrington USA, pp. 184-188.
    Available to download from: http://www.berkshirepublishing.com/brw/product.asp?projid=99
  • Fischer, J, Dyball, R, Fazey, I, Gross, C, Dovers, S, Ehrlich, PR, Brulle, RJ, Chrisensen, C and Borden RJ et al 2012, 'Human behavior and sustainability', Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 10: 153-160. doi: 10.1890/110079.

    Available to download from from:
    https://sites.google.com/site/joernfischerspage/Home

  • Dyball, R 2012, 'Knowledge isn't the problem, willpower is'. Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3869592.html
  • Turner, B, Pearson, D & Dyball, R 2012, Food in the ACT: a preliminary study of issues for the ACT Government Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate.
  • Pearson, D, Henryks, J, Trott, A et al 2011, 'Local food: understanding consumer motivations in innovative retail formats', British Food Journal, vol. 113, no. 6-7, pp. 886-899.
  • Dyball, R 2011, 'Human Ecology as open transdisciplinary inquiry', Human Ecology (Journal), no. 24, pp. 13-20
  • Porter, J, Deutsch, L, Dumaresq, D, Dyball, R 2011, 'How will growing cities eat?', Nature, vol. 469, no. 7328, pp. 34-.
  • Dyball, R 2010, 'Human Ecology and Open Transdisciplinary Inquiry', in Valerie Brown, John Harris, Jacqueline Russell (ed.), Tackling Wicked Problems: Through the Transdisciplinary Imagination, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, UK and Washington DC, USA, pp. 273-284.
  • McMillin, J & Dyball, R 2009, 'Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability: Linking the curriculum, research and sustainable campus operations', Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 55-64.
  • Dyball, R, Borden, R & Serbser, W 2009, 'New Directions in Human Ecology Education', in Priscila Lopes and Alpina Begossi (ed.), Current Trends in Human Ecology, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, pp. 250-272.
  • Lauer, S, Dyball, R, Greig, A et al 2009, 'Community Formation and Attitudes to Sustainability: comparative case studies from Canberra', State of Australian Cities: National Conference 2009, ed. Conference Program Committee, Promaco Conventions Pty Ltd, Perth, pp. 1-36.
  • Newell, B., Proust, K., Dyball, R., McManus, P. 2007, 'Seeing obesity as a systems problem', NSW Public Health Bulletin, vol. 18, no. 11-12, pp. 214-218.
  • Dyball, R, Brown, V & Keen, M 2007, 'Towards sustainability: Five strands of social learning', in Arjen E.J. Wals (ed.), Social learning towards a sustainable world; principles, perspectives, and praxis, Wageningen Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, pp. 181-195.
  • Dyball, R & Carpenter, D 2006, 'Human ecology and education for sustainability', in Walter Leal Filho and David Carpenter (ed.), Sustainability in the Australasian University Context, Peter Lang Publishing Group, Freiburg, pp. 45-66.
  • Carpenter, D & Dyball, R 2006, '"Outside In" - Experiential Education for Sustainability', in Peter Lang (ed.), Innovation, Education and Communication for Sustainable Development, Peter Lang Publishing Group, Germany, p. 7663.
  • Keen, M, Brown, V & Dyball, R, eds, 2005, Social Learning in Environmental Management: Towards a Sustainable Future, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London.
  • Keen, M, Brown, V & Dyball, R 2005, 'Social Learning: A new approach to environmental management', in Meg Keen, Valerie A. Brown, Rob Dyball (ed.), Social Learning in Environmental Management: Towards a sustainable future, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, pp. 91-103.
  • Brown, V, Dyball, R, Keen, M et al. 2005, 'The Reflective Practitioner: Practising what we preach', in Meg Keen, Valerie A. Brown, Rob Dyball (ed.), Social Learning in Environmental Management: Towards a sustainable future, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, pp. 224-246.
  • Brown, V, Keen, M & Dyball, R 2005, 'Lessons from the Past, Learning from the Future', in Meg Keen, Valerie A. Brown, Rob Dyball (ed.), Social Learning in Environmental Management: Towards a sustainable future, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, pp. 247-265.
  • Dyball, R, Beavis, S & Kaufman, S 2005, 'Complex Adaptive Systems: Constructing Mental Models', in Meg Keen, Valerie A. Brown, Rob Dyball (ed.), Social Learning in Environmental Management: Towards a sustainable future, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, pp. 41-59.