Robert is the Fenner School of Environment and Society Associate Director Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). He convenes the Human Ecology program at the Fenner School and is a 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 projects that focus on global food systems and was 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 interested in innovations that international teaching and learning collaborations, particularly in partnership with regional developing nations. 

Robert is the editor of the journal Human Ecology Review. He is President Emeritus of the International Society for Human Ecology (SHE) and was also Chair of the Human Ecology Section of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). He co-chaired the ANU Humanities and Social Sciences Delegated Ethics Review Committee (DERC). He has also been an 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 the author of Understanding Human Ecology (2nd Edition) published by Routledge (2023).