Emeritus Professor Iain Hay
Matthew Flinders Distinguished Emeritus Professor
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Iain Hay a nationally and internationally celebrated geographer with recognised leadership experience in significant professional associations and academic roles. Iain is currently inaugural Director of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia and Chair of the Australian Academy of Science's National Committee for Geographical Sciences. He is also member-elected Director of HCi (Health Care Insurance).
Earlier academic roles include: Academic Dean at Australian Institute of Business; foundation Dean (Education) of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University; and Australian Learning and Teaching Council Discipline Scholar for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. He served earlier as Head of the School of Geography, Population and Environmental Management at Flinders University.
Iain Hay completed a PhD at the University of Washington as a Fulbright Scholar and a higher doctorate (LittD) with the University of Canterbury, NZ. His books have sold in excess of 100,000 copies. He maintains numerous journal and book series editorial roles and is former Editor-in-Chief of Geographical Research, foundation Australasian Commissioning Editor for Journal of Geography in Higher Education, and he co-founded the journal Ethics, Place and Environment.
Professor Hay has been widely recognised for contributions to geography, professional service, and higher education (e.g. 2006 Prime Minister's Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year; 2021 AAG Fellow; 2024 IGU Laureat d'Honneur [see video])
Over his career Professor Hay has held visiting appointments such as: University of Bristol's Benjamin Meaker Visiting Professorship; British Academy Visiting Fellowship; Fellowship of the University of Edinburgh's International Social Sciences Institute; and National University of Singapore's Educator-in-Residence.
Iain Hay's service to geography over the 30+ years includes: First Vice-President of the International Geographical Union, President of the Institute of Australian Geographers, and cofounder of the International Network of Learning and Teaching geography in higher education.
- BSc (1st class Honours in Geography) Canterbury 1983
- MA (with Distinction in Geography) Massey 1985
- PhD Washington 1989
- GradCertTertEd Flinders 1996
- MEdMgmt Flinders 2004
- LittD Canterbury 2009
- 2024 The IGU Laureat d'Honneur, International Geographical Union
- 2024 J.P. Thomson Medal, Royal Geographical Society of Queensland
- 2022 Fellow, Royal Historical Society
- 2021 Fellow, American Association of Geographers
- 2021 Geoethics Medal, International Association for Promoting Geoethics
- 2018 American Association of Geographers' Gilbert Grosvenor Geographic Education Honors
- 2016 Massey University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, NZ
- 2015 Green Gown Australasia Award
- 2014 Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences, UK
- 2013 Principal Fellow, Higher Education Academy, UK
- 2013 Fellow, New Zealand Geographical Society
- 2012 Educator-in-Residence, National University of Singapore
- 2011 Distinguished New Zealand Geographer Medal, NZ Geographical Society
- 2010 Inaugural Association of American Geographers E. Willard and Ruby S. Miller Award, for "outstanding contributions to the discipline of geography..."
- 2009 Taylor and Francis Award of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers
- 2009 Fellow, Australian College of Educators
- 2009 The Council of Education Associations of South Australia, Award for outstanding contributions to the teaching profession.
- 2008 Australian Geography Teachers Association (AGTA) Award
- 2008 Fellow, Institute of Australian Geographers
- 2006 Prime Minister's Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year
- 2006 Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching Excellence (Social Sciences)
- 2006 Carrick Australian Awards for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning.
- 2006 Fellow, Australian Institute of Company Directors
- 2005 Australian Institute of Urban Studies Research Prize
- 2004 Fellow, Australian Institute of Management
- 2000 Life Fellow, Governor's Leadership Foundation (South Australia)
- Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Flinders University 1995, 2000 & 2005
- 1998 Ian Potter and George Alexander Foundations Travel Grant
- 1996 The Geographical Congress '88 Trust Travel Grant
- 1994 British Academy Visiting Fellow
- 1985 Fulbright Award for PhD in USA
See summary cv
Successful supervision of 14 PhD theses. (See attached list of students and their achievements)
See summary cv.
Principal Fellow, Higher Education Academy.
Fellow, Australian College of Educators.
Foundation Member, Flinders University College of Distinguished Educators.
Board Member, SACE Board of South Australia (South Australian Certificate of Education).
Member, Accreditation, Recognition and Certification Committee, SACE Board of South Australia.
Governor, St Peter's Girls' School.
Member, Senior Common Room. St Mark's College
Selected Leadership Roles and Appointments:
- Inaugural Director, Royal Geographical Society of South Australia 2022-2023
- Chair, Australian Academy of Science, National Committee for Geographical Sciences 2023+
- Vice-President, Royal Geographical Society of South Australia 2021-2022
- First Vice-President, International Geographical Union 2020-2022
- Deputy Chair, Australian Academy of Science, National Committee for Georgraphical Sciences 2020-2023
- Vice-President, International Geographical Union 2014-2018; 2018-2020
- Editor-in-Chief, Geographical Research 2014-2016
- Vice-President (immediate past President), Institute of Australian Geographers 2012-2014
- President, Institute of Australian Geographers 2010-2012
- Vice-President (President Elect), Institute of Australian Geographers 2008-2010
- Chair, Australian Academy of Sciences' National Committee for Geography 2005-2006
- Chair, Australian Heads of Geography Committee 2002-2004
- Co-Founder and Director, International Network for Learning and Teaching Geography 1999-2005
- Invited Member, Australian Academy of Sciences National Committee for Geography 1999-2005
- Secretary, Institute of Australian Geographers 1998-2001
- Councillor, Royal Geographical Society of South Australia 1996-2000
- Councillor, Institute of Australian Geographers 1995-8
- Trustee, South Australian Business Vision 2010 2001-2008
- Association of American Geographers' International Research and Scholarly Exchange Committee 1992-5
Book Series Editorial Roles:
- Invited Foundation Series Editor, 'How to be an Academic Superhero', Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025+
- Foundation Series Editor, 'Antipodean Perspectives on Geography', Anthem Publishing, 2024+
- Foundation Editor, 'International Geographical Union Series on Contemporary Geographies', Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018+
- Invited General Editor, 'International Handbooks on Human Geography', Spring Science+Business, 2009-13
Selected Journal Editorial Roles:
- Editor-in-Chief, Geographical Research 2014-2016
- Co-Editor, International Gambling Studies 2006-2009
- Co-founder and foundation Editor for Asia/Pacific, Ethics, Place and Environment 1997-2010
- Editor, South Australian Geographical Journal 1996-9
- First Australasian Commissioning Editor, Journal of Geography in Higher Education 1995-2005
Selected Editorial Boards:
- ACME - An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies 2009+
- Applied Geography 2007-11
- Erdkunde 2015+
- International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2008+
- Journal of Geography in Higher Education 2005+
- Luxury: History, Culture, Consumption 2013+
- New Zealand Geographer 2000-4
- Norsk Geografisk Tidscckrift - Norwegian Journal of Geography 2010+
- Social and Cultural Geography 1998-2002
- South Australian Geographical Journal 2016+
Iain Hay is interested in geographies of oppression and domination, wealth and income inequality, the super-rich and human-environment relations. He also has a significant record of scholarly work on research ethics and learning and teaching.
For further information see below for a summary cv (pdf document).
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6305-061X
Scopus Author ID: 34770775800
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
Follow Flinders
