Simon Haslett

Professor Haslett is an Honorary Professor in the Department of Geography at Swansea University and is Pro Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa. He previously undertook research at Jesus College, University of Oxford, under a Short-Term Visiting Fellowship. He is former Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David; and has worked in higher education for over 30 years, previously at the University of East Anglia, Durham University, and Bath Spa University, where he was Head of the Department of Geography. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship which he spent at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in the University of California, San Diego.

Professor Haslett taught physical geography from the early 1990’s, particularly on coastal geomorphology, Quaternary micropalaeontology, and climate change. He is author of the popular textbook Coastal Systems, now in its 3rd edition and published by the University of Wales Press, and editor of Quaternary Environmental Micropalaeontology published by Arnold. He is also committed to science communication and outreach, given numerous public lectures and made documentary television programmes for the BBC. Professor Haslett has also supervised postgraduate students in the fields of coastal evolution and education for sustainable development. He is also passionate about undergraduate research and was co-founder of the annual British Conference of Undergraduate Research. He was also a pioneer of the use of Google Earth in teaching geography.

Professor Haslett has published widely in the field of physical geography, and the earth and ocean sciences, publishing his first article in 1990. He is currently Associate Editor of the Journal of Coastal Research. His main field areas include the coasts of peninsula Malaysia and Borneo, southeast Australia, and the Celtic coasts of northwest France and southwest Britain. He is well-known for co-developing the theory that a catastrophic coastal flood, which occurred in the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary in 1607, may have been caused by a tsunami rather than a storm. Either way his research has ignited significant interest in this forgotten flood, which appears to be the worst natural disaster to have affected Britain within historic times with an estimated 2,000 fatalities. Some of his mircopalaeontological research has made use of material collected by the Deep Sea Drilling Project and the Ocean Drilling Program from the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, shedding light on ancient El Niño events. He has also contributed to various UNESCO IGCP Projects.
With his strong interest in learning and teaching, Professor Haslett has also undertaken research and publishing in this area, including editing the books Linking Research and Teaching in Wales and Pedagogy of Climate Change for the Higher Education Academy. He has also recently developed a research interest in the history of higher education.

Professor Haslett obtained a BSc (Hons) in Geography and Geology from Keele University, an MSc in Micropalaeontology from the University of Southampton, and a PhD in Quaternary Palaeoceanography from the University of Glamorgan, now part of the University of South Wales.