Billy Tusker Haworth

Billy is a geographer with expertise uniquely positioned at the intersection of critical human geography, geographic information systems (GIS), and international disaster studies. They hold a PhD in Geography, Master of Applied Science (Spatial Information Science) and Bachelor of Science (Geography, Geology & Geophysics), all from the University of Sydney. Their main research areas over the past decade have included the role of volunteered geographic information, social media and participatory mapping in bushfire emergency preparedness in Australia, environmental livelihood security and spatial information approaches in the Asia-Pacific region, reading graffiti in conflict-affected societies (e.g., Cyprus), and queer disaster vulnerability and resilience, including studies of LGBTQIA+ experiences during Covid-19 in Brazil and the UK. Central to all Billy’s work is the desire to capture, expose and potentially empower marginalised voices, with emphasis on engagement and knowledge exchange beyond academia. From 2017 to 2022 Billy was a Lecturer in GIS and International Disaster Management at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), University of Manchester. They have since returned to Australia and continue to work with universities, government and non-government organisations, and communities on geography and disaster/humanitarian projects. Billy is presently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, working on Geoscience Australia funded research into marine spatial planning and stakeholder engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, and teaching disaster geographies.