Dr. Bec Colvin

Biography

Bec Colvin is an Associate Professor and DECRA Fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. Her research focuses on the social and political dimensions of contentious issues related to climate policy and energy transition. Bec employs a social identity approach to understand the complexities of how different groups engage in social and political conflict regarding climate and energy issues. She has explored conflicts around wind energy, coal seam gas, and broadly within the scope of climate policy and energy transition in various settings, particularly in public spheres and local communities. Bec has a particular interest in regional communities facing changes related to local energy infrastructure and industries. Her role as the lead investigator in an Australian Research Council funded Discovery Project aims to understand the influence of 'unconventional advocates'—such as farmers and business leaders—on public opinion regarding climate policy. Additionally, she is the recipient of the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, which seeks to identify ways of establishing constructive community-led dialogues in coal-producing regions. In terms of teaching, Bec educates students in the fields of climate and environmental policy, having previously served as the Co-Convener of the Master of Climate Change and the Convenor of the Graduate Certificate of Climate Policy. She is also on the editorial board of the journal Environmental Research Letters, contributing regularly to media discussions regarding climate and energy issues.

Research Interests

Experience