Phenden is a PhD student in the Fenner School of Environment & Society. His research is about responses to climate change for sustainable ecotourism in protected areas, with a particular focus on the Australian Capital Territory. 

Phenden served as the Park Manager at the Royal Botanical Park under the then Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan before moving to Australia to pursue his postgraduate studies in 2018. He completed his Master of Philosophy from Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia in 2022. He accomplished Master of Climate Change and Graduate Diploma in Environment from Fenner School of Environment and Society in 2010 and 2011.