Erin Nash

I'm currently an honorary research fellow at both the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science & Society at Durham University (UK) and the School of Humanities and Languages at the University of New South Wales (Australia). My academic research focuses on issues to do with misinformation, and the ethics and politics of communication, particularly about science.

I completed my PhD at the Centre for Humanities Engaging Science & Society in the Department of Philosophy at Durham University under the guidance of Wendy Parker, Nancy Cartwright and Alison Wylie. You can read an abstract of my thesis—On the Political Costs of Misinformation About Science—here. I spoke about some of these themes in an interview with David Rutledge on ABC Radio National’s The Philosopher Zone.

I received my BSc majoring in biological sciences and geography from Monash University and my MSc in philosophy and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Before returning to academia I had a career as a policy analyst and adviser in government in Australia, and non-government organisations in Southeast Asia and Europe. I returned to the public service after completing a postdoc last year.

Broadly, my academic interests lie at the interfaces of philosophy of science, social/political philosophy, and epistemology. I’m interested in misinformation and propaganda, free speech theory, the role of science in democratic societies (particularly in policymaking), ethical issues in communicating science, the relevance of science and empirical research to political/social/moral philosophy, and how we ought to combine or weigh evidence from multiple disciplinary perspectives. My issues-based interests tend to revolve around climate change and socioeconomic inequality. I am also interested in freedom of thought and what it means to have a ‘mind of one’s own’. Having spent a lot of time during my PhD thinking about the place of scientific experts in democratic societies, I now spend a lot of time thinking about the role of political philosophy and philosophers in our societies.

I am also a Research Associate on a project looking at how best, and most ethically, to discuss science with policymakers (PI: Elizabeth Suhay, American University). Our project was one of two recipients of a Building Capacity for Science Communication Partnership Award from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. All of the outputs from the project are located here.

Outside of work I enjoy checking out Melbourne’s creative scene and getting out into nature. One day I'd like to make a film.

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Durham University (2014 — 2018)
• Master of Science (MSc) London School of Economics and Political Science (2012 — 2013)
• Certificate in Journalism City, University of London (2012 — 2012)
• Diploma of Project Management State Government of Victoria (2011 — 2011)
• Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) Deakin University (2006 — 2007)
• Bachelor of Science Monash University (2003 — 2006)

Companies

• Postdoctoral Researcher UNSW (2018 — 2019)
• Doctoral Candidate, Lecturer, and Tutor Durham University (2014 — 2018)
• Research Consultant International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) (2013 — 2016)
• Ethics & Sustainability Coordinator University College London (2013 — 2014)
• Research Assistant to Professor Ian Gough The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (2014 — 2014)
• Masters of Philosophy and Public Policy London School of Economics and Political Science (2012 — 2013)
• Climate Change Officer World Wide Fund for Nature (2011 — 2012)
• Policy Officer - Catchment Planning Department of Sustainability and Environment (2010 — 2011)
• Environmental Planner Department of Sustainability and Environment (2009 — 2010)