Rohan Howitt

Dr. Rohan Howitt is a Lecturer in Environmental History at Monash University’s Department of History. His work focuses on the Southern Ocean World, examining environmental transformations, globalisation, and imperial expansion across Australia, Antarctica, and the subantarctic regions. He is author of the forthcoming book The Southern Frontier: Australia, Antarctica, and Empire (2025), and holds the Allan Martin Award for his project on phantom islands in the Southern Ocean. His research also explores penguin oil industries, iceberg navigation challenges, and migration histories. Dr. Howitt has taught at the University of Sydney and Wollongong, and previously served as Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian National University’s Centre for Environmental History.

• Education: PhD (University of Sydney)
• Teaching: Courses include environmental history, climate crisis analysis, and Antarctic history.

His research interests span environmental historiography, animal studies, and oceanic global history. Recent projects include analyzing corporate colonialism in the Auckland Islands and the stratigraphy of Antarctic memory systems.

Dr. Howitt’s publications critically examine extraction economies, polar exploration narratives, and the intersection of colonial ideologies with ecological change. His work bridges environmental science and humanities, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human-environment interactions.

• Awards: Allan Martin Award (Australian Historical Association)
• Grants: Australian Historical Association funding for phantom islands research (2023–2024).