SDEC Lab hosts Alejandro Espinosa-Rada

Recently we had the pleasure of hosting Alejandro Espinosa-Rada in the SDEC Lab during his visit to Sydney. Alejandro is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a Visiting Professor at KU Leuven. During his visit, we exchanged ideas on multilayer network modeling, group dynamics, and multidisciplinary

collaboration – alongside wide-ranging conversations about Australian and Chilean culture. The visit also included braving a walk in a classic Sydney heatwave for a well-earned lunch (proof in the photo!), reminding us that the best research exchanges often happen both inside and outside the lab. Alejandro is also the co-host of Knitting Networks, a bilingual podcast on social network science endorsed by the International Network for Social Network Analysis. We encourage you to check it out!

Great to host you, Alejandro!

ANSNA Garry Robins Early Career Research Award

November 2025

Congratulations to Associate Professor Michele Barnes, Director of the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab, on receiving the 2025 Garry Robins Early Career Research Award from the Australian Network for Social Network Analysis.

Presented at ASNAC 2025 in Byron Bay, the award recognises an early- to mid-career scholar for outstanding contributions to the scientific study of social networks and to the Australian social network research community.

Michele received the award in recognition of her research that applies social network methods to investigate how relationships between people and nature shape sustainability outcomes, which has advanced both social network theory and empirical understanding of social–environmental change. In addition to her research contributions, she was recognized for her service as ANSNA President in 2023 and her deep commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers through supervision, mentorship, and collaborative scholarship.

Read more here.

On the road: SDEC attends the Australian Social Network Analysis Conference in Byron Bay

November 2025

Members of the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab attended the Australian Social Network Analysis Conference (ASNAC 2025) in Byron Bay.

Congratulations to lab members Walter Galdames Opazo (PhD candidate) and Henry Bartelet (postdoctoral researcher),

who both presented early-stage work from their projects and received thoughtful, constructive feedback from the ANSNA community — a particularly brave and valuable step at this stage of their research.

The conference provided an excellent opportunity for the lab to engage with diverse applications of social network research across disciplines, reconnect with colleagues, and strengthen collaborations. As always, the ANSNA community stood out for its warmth, generosity, and collegial spirit.

AdaptNSW Forum: A/Prof Barnes on Social-Ecological Infrastructure

November 2025

Associate Professor Barnes attended the AdaptNSW Forum and presented on social-ecological infrastructure in a panel convened by the Sydney Environment Institute.

The panel, Beyond People: Adapting with Animals and Environments, brought

together scholars and practitioners to explore how climate adaptation must move beyond business-as-usual approaches toward strategies grounded in care, connection, and right relationship with each other and with Country.

Drawing on her work on social–ecological networks, Michele emphasised that adaptation does not occur within social or ecological domains alone, but in the relationships between them — including collaboration, inclusion, knowledge, and ecological feedbacks — and that these relationships shape whether adaptation succeeds, stalls, or deepens inequities.

Audience engagement highlighted strong interest in relational and systems-based approaches to adaptation planning and practice, which represents an exciting opportunity for impactful research in this space. Stay tuned!

PhD milestone and Best Oral Presentation Award

November 2025

Congratulations to Carmen Dobszewicz, PhD candidate in the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab, who was officially confirmed as a doctoral candidate and received the Best Oral Presentation Award for her proposal presentation. Well done Carmen!

Her project, “Fostering empathy through projects: using human–shark interventions to promote coexistence,” examines how project-based interventions can shape empathy, attitudes, and coexistence between people and sharks. A fantastic milestone and well-deserved recognition.

Members of the SDEC Lab provide expert commentary ahead of COP30

November 2025

As global climate targets come under increasing strain, world leaders, scientists, and non-governmental organisations prepare to convene at COP30.

PhD candidate Luisa Fernanda Bedoya Taborda and Associate Professor Michele Barnes (Lab Director) shared expert commentary on climate adaptation, equity, and the importance of community-centred approaches to responding to escalating climate risks.

Read more here.

Resilience Science Must-Knows landmark report released

November 2025

The landmark report Resilience Science Must-Knows was finally released, distilling decades of research into nine essential insights for decision-makers navigating risk, uncertainty, and transformation.

Developed in the lead-up to COP30 and in response to UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report — which warns of a twelve-fold shortfall in adaptation finance — the report provides a science-based call to action for building just and sustainable futures in an era of compounding crises.

Associate Professor Barnes, Director of the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab, served on the Expert Editorial Board for this global initiative, led by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Global Resilience Partnership, and Future Earth.

Access the report here.

WWF Fonseca Leadership Program Fellowship Award

October 2025

Huge congratulations to Luisa Fernanda Bedoya Taborda, PhD candidate in the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab, on being awarded a WWF Fonseca Leadership Program Fellowship!

Luisa’s research focuses on nature-based solutions and climate adaptation projects in conflict-affected coastal communities in Colombia, at the intersection of environmental change, peacebuilding, and community resilience. The fellowship will support her continued work on locally grounded, transformative solutions for people and nature.

On the road:SDEC Lab attends Adaptation Futures in Aotearoa New Zealand

October 2025

Several members of the Social Dynamics & Environmental Change Lab attended Adaptation Futures 2025, the flagship conference of the UN World Adaptation Science Programme, held in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Congratulations to PhD Candidate Luisa Fernanda Bedoya Taborda, who

presented her work on the intersection of climate change and conflict. Her presentation introduced a framework for integrating peacebuilding and climate adaptation projects, highlighting the importance of lived experience and justice-oriented approaches.

Associate Professor Barnes also contributed by delivering a talk on how social networks and agency shape who has influence in climate adaptation processes, drawing on research with coastal communities in Kenya. She further co-led a panel on social-ecological infrastructure with David Schlosberg and Christine Winter, facilitated by Neil Adger.

New Book Published: Handbook of Social Networks and the Environment

August 2025

The Handbook of Social Networks and the Environment—co-edited by Associate Professor Barnes (director of the SDEC Lab) and Örjan Bodin from the Stockholm Resilience Centre—has just been published with Edward Elgar.

This volume brings together leading scholars from around the world to explore how social networks underpin environmental change and shape responses to today’s most urgent sustainability challenges.

Drawing on diverse case studies and the latest network science, the Handbook examines:

  • Collaboration, power, learning, and social influence in environmental contexts
  • The spread of sustainable innovations and barriers to change
  • Governance, risk, and resilience in the face of disasters and climate change
  • Global trade, conservation, post-disaster recovery, seed exchange, and more

We have been honoured by the reception so far. Steve Borgatti praised it as “the network analysis volume that tackles the BIG environmental problems,” while Johan Rockström described it as “a comprehensive overview and deep dive served with scientific passion.” Carl Folke and Katrina Brown have also offered generous endorsements highlighting the book’s timeliness and depth.

This project has been many years in the making, and Associate Professor Barnes is incredibly grateful to all contributors and colleagues who made it possible!

 The Handbook of Social Networks and the Environment is now available here.

For more details, visit the publisher’s page or feel free to get in touch.