Katarina Damjanov

Katarina is Co‑Director of the Frontier Technologies and Society Research Lab and Lead of the Humans & Space Research Capability at the International Space Centre at the University of Western Australia. Her work engages with changing relations between technologies, environments and society, focusing on emerging infrastructures on and off the Earth.

Katarina's research lies at the intersection of media and cultural studies, science and technology studies and environmental humanities. She is a leading researcher in the social and cultural studies of outer space and has widely published, presented and collaborated on space-related projects. Katarina also has research interests in Earth-based socio‑technical futures, in particular those surrounding automation, mobilities and energy and resources. Her research has been recognised through competitive research awards, international fellowships and invitations to deliver keynotes and expert presentations at academic and industry events in Australia and overseas.

Katarina joined UWA in 2013, having previously taught at The University of Melbourne, where she also completed her PhD. At UWA, she has served as Discipline Chair of Media and Communication and led undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Before entering academia, Katarina worked in creative and executive roles across TV, film, radio, advertising and media arts and brings this industry experience into her teaching and curriculum design. 

Katarina’s research addresses a range of issues in:  

• digital media and cultural practices 
• automation and emerging techologies 
• communication design, govenance and policy 
• technology, environment and society
• commons, communities and social change 
• media ecologies, mobilities and planetary futures 

Katarina is available for the supervision of MA and PhD projects engaging with her research areas.

Katarina designs and delivers innovative and award-winning curricula across undergraduate, honours and postgraduate levels of study, including:

• COMM2002 Digital Media
• COMM3002 Media Production Project
• COMM4103 iGeneration
• COMM4105 Research Methods in Media and Communication
• COMM5200 Digital Advocacy
• COMM5604 Media Governance 
• COMM5501 Advanced Topics in Strategic Communication