Tom Roberts

Dr. Tom Roberts is a Lecturer in Cultural Geography at the School of Science, University of New South Wales Canberra. He joined UNSW Canberra as a Research Associate in 2017 and was promoted to Lecturer in July 2020. His academic journey began with a BA Hons in Geography from the University of Oxford (2008), followed by an MSc in Human Geography: Society & Space (2011) and a PhD in Geography (2015), both from the University of Bristol. Prior to UNSW, he worked as a Research Assistant and Senior Tutor at the University of Melbourne.

• Education: BA Hons (Oxford, 2008), MSc (Bristol, 2011), PhD (Bristol, 2015)
• Previous Positions: Research Associate (UNSW, 2017), Research Assistant & Senior Tutor (Melbourne)
• Current Role: Lecturer in Cultural Geography (UNSW Canberra, 2020-present)

Tom Roberts' research develops innovative approaches to understanding the human within increasingly technologically-mediated environments. His work critically examines unacknowledged assumptions about human exceptionalism while exploring material agency and the implications of technological change. His research spans three interconnected agendas: questioning the human through philosophical frameworks (Spinoza, Deleuze, Whitehead); conceptualizing material agency through new materialist theory; and understanding the social and cultural dimensions of technological transformation, particularly AI and 3D printing technologies. His methodological approach emphasizes non-representational research practices and experimental writing.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary trajectory connecting philosophy, geography, and technology studies. His work consistently challenges anthropocentric perspectives while developing vocabularies to articulate nonhuman dimensions of social and cultural life. The publications demonstrate increasing engagement with AI technologies and trust negotiation in digital environments, reflecting contemporary technological concerns.

• Promoting High Quality Research Papers Scheme (2 papers awarded, 2019)
• Science at the Shine Dome (supported early-mid career researcher, 2019)

Tom Roberts actively supervises research students working on topics including gender equality in Iranian urban contexts, materiality of color through Deleuze's philosophy, and new materialist geopolitics. He teaches undergraduate courses in Human Geography 1A, Special Topics in Geography, and Geographic Research Methods, and convenes the postgraduate course Understanding Socio-Technical Systems. His research on trust with AI technologies (funded by UNSW Canberra AI Seed Fund in 2022) represents a significant contribution to understanding human-AI interactions in everyday contexts. Roberts maintains an active research program that bridges theoretical innovation with empirical investigations of contemporary technological transformations.