Robert Owain

I trained as cultural geographer and became the first Professor of Environmental Humanities in the UK in 2014 at Bath Spa University, and was then deputy director of the Research Centre for the Environmental Humanities at Bath Spa, 2016 - 2019. I have published over 80 scholarly articles on various aspects of nature-society relations, and four books (co-edited/authored):- Visual Culture in the Northern British Archipelago: Imagining Islands (2018); Participatory Research in More-Than-Human Worlds (2017); Geography and Memory: Identity, Place and Becoming (2012); and Tree Cultures: Places of Trees (2002). I led a £1.5 million Arts and Humanities Research Council Connected Communities project with eight UK universities, community partners and artists in four UK case study areas (2014 – 2017). This project sought to creatively explore and transform connections within and between communities, and communities and nature, in relation to water issues. I have supervised four Environmental Humanities PhDs with art practice, and been an external examiner on fifteen PhDs in the UK and Europe. I am now an Emeritus Professor at Bath Spa University having recently retired from full academic work. I am publishing a series of new research papers in the coming months. My academic work has been translated into German and Finnish. I have worked for the Swedish, Chilean and Polish Research Councils as a project reviewer.

Tutoring Experience

I have extensive teaching experience in human geography and related social science subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at the University of the West of England; Bristol University; Exeter University; Bath Spa University; and the Open University (all UK). For the latter I did some specialised ‘how to write academic essays’ sessions. I also did some tutoring in a prison for the Open University. I have supervised and examined a number of geography PhDs. I am particularly interested in helping students improve essays and dissertations by advising on structure, language, referencing, readability and so on. I am happy to track change and comment on Word documents to improve essays and dissertations.

Tutoring Approach

My teaching approach is informal and relaxed. I belive most people can think critically, and write clear, high quality, academic work if supported to do so. I have DBS clearence to work with young people. I would expect to do most tutoring by email and document exchange, maybe by Zoom as well. Meeting in person would be ok if any student local.