Tom Townsend

Dr. Tom Townsend serves as a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Canberra within the School of Professional Studies. With 20 years of experience in the higher education sector and federal government consulting, he bridges professional IT leadership with academic instruction in cybersecurity.

His educational background includes doctoral research taking a Design Science approach to IT infrastructure and data centers within the context of services availability. His research methodology combines qualitative and quantitative approaches including modeling, scenarios, interviews, and thematic analysis.

Townsend's research interests span Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence (particularly Reinforcement Learning), Serious Games, Wargaming, and IT Infrastructure. His recent work bridges AI, Simulation, and Military Wargaming through interdisciplinary projects connecting Computer Science with Design Science.

His publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to fields including data center efficiency (2017-2019) and AI applications in board games (2021-2023), showing an evolving research trajectory from infrastructure to AI applications.

As an Education Focused academic, Townsend teaches in the Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Leadership and Master of Cyber Security (Online) programs, with particular interest in the intersection of Computer Science, Social Sciences, and Management within cybersecurity.

Professional highlights include designing recovery programs after cyber incidents at Australian National University, developing strategies for universities and federal government departments, and leading digital transformation programs.