Associate Professor
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Associate Professor Alice Gorman is an internationally recognised leader in the field of space archaeology and author of the award-winning book Dr Space Junk vs the Universe: Archaeology and the Future (MIT Press, 2019). Her research focuses on the archaeology and heritage of space exploration, including space junk, planetary landing sites, off-earth mining, and space habitats. In 2022, she co-directed (with Justin Walsh) an archaeological survey on the International Space Station, which was the first archaeological fieldwork ever to take place outside Earth. She is an Associate Professor at Flinders University in Adelaide and a heritage consultant with over 30 years’ experience working with Indigenous communities in Australia. Gorman is also a Vice-Chair of the Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities, a Life Member of the Space Industry Association of Australia, a Senior Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and an expert member of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Aerospace Heritage.
She is a regular contributor to national and international space policy, particularly focusing on issues of equity, social justice and rights of nature. She was part of a collective that drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Moon in 2021. She also contributed to the Vancouver Recommendations on Space Mining. Asteroid 551014 Gorman is named after her in recognition of her work in establishing space archaeology as a field.
2020: University of New England Distinguished Alumni Award
2020: finalist in the Australian Space Awards for Academic of the Year and Researcher of the Year
2019: John Mulvaney Book Award (Australian Archaeological Association)
2017: Bragg NSW Press Prize for Science Writing
2010: Voted 1st at Flinders University in the UniJobs Lecturer of the Year poll.
2007: Voted 29th in the annual Australia-wide Lecturer of the Year poll.
2001: Finalist, Queensland Premier's Awards, Bridges to Reconciliation category.
Alice teaches undergraduate archaeology and graduate cultural heritage management.
Memberships:
Australian Archaeological Association
World Archaeological Congress
Space Industry Association of Australia (Advisory Council Member)
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Adelaide Chapter)
Anthropological Society of South Australia (Councillor)
International Flann O'Brien Society
International Association of Critical Heritage Studies
Alice publishes Space Age Archaeology, which is archived at the National Library of Australia as a significant scientific blog.