Sarina Kilham

Dr. Sarina Kilham is a Lecturer in Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology at the Gulbali Institute's Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences school. Her research focuses on sustainable rural livelihoods, autonomy in development programs, and biofuel strategies in Brazil and Timor-Leste. She holds a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney (2017) and has extensive experience with international development organizations like the UN and NGOs. Her work bridges sociology and agriculture, addressing food justice, disability-inclusive disaster resilience, and urban food systems innovation. She teaches courses like AGR220 and AGR202, and supervises graduate students examining social dimensions of agriculture and food systems.

Recent grants include funding for regenerative agriculture's economic/social dimensions and knowledge translation in agriculture (Soil CRC). She collaborates with the City of Sydney and TASA on urban food systems projects. Awards include grants supporting Timor-Leste education programs and disability advocacy. Her podcast What's Sociology Got to Do with It? highlights applied sociological insights. Kilham's work contributes to UN SDGs on education, sustainable cities, and climate action.