Catherine Phillips

Dr. Phillips's work examines how everyday relations between people and nature take shape, become understood, and are contested in everyday life, as well as how they interact with governance efforts at various scales. Her work develops new understandings and approaches to support sustainable and just responses to socio-ecological challenges. Recent work orients around: urban natures, agriculture and food, discard and waste. Interdisciplinary in nature, her research emerges from productive confluences and tensions among social and environmental geography, science and technology studies, and feminist theory. Her fieldwork has included sites in Canada, South Africa, Indonesia, Australia, and now New Zealand. She is currently PI on an ARC Discovery project to better understand people's relations with urban trees and green spaces (see www.plantcities.com).

Catherine has taught subjects in sociology, geography, environmental science and studies, development studies, and political studies. In 2025 at UC, she coordinates and teaches ‘Environment and Society’ (SOCI220) and 'Everyday Life and Society' (SOCI263). She also coordinates and team-teaches 'Exploring Society' (SOCI111) and 'Sustainability Transitions, Transformations and Agents of Change' (SENS301). Next year, she will teach a new course in 'Food Systems, Sustainability & Social Change' (SOCI306/ANTH326/SOCI406).

Catherine is also an Honorary at the University of Melbourne (School of Geography, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences).