Professor Dan Penny
People_

Professor Dan Penny

Room 443
Associate Professor
Phone
93516464
Address
F09 - Madsen Building
The University of Sydney
Details
Websites

Dan's research is focussed on environmental histories. Dan's work ranges from environmental histories of the global tropics, particularly mainland Southeast Asia and central America, through to Australian based environmental reconstructions.

Dan applies expertise in palaeo-botany and sedimentology to document the response of ecosystems to climatic variability and human activities over long periods of time. The aim of this research is to reveal the complex mechanistic interaction between the biosphere (including humans) and the atmosphere in order to better understand the Earth System.

A key focus of Dan's work is the response of human communities to environmental change. For well over a decade Dan has studied the environmental history of medieval cities in Cambodia, particularly the world-famous city of Angkor. He has recently expanded this work to the Maya cities of central America.

Current Teaching
  • GEOS1002/1902 Introductory Geography
  • GEOS2116/2916 Earth Surface Processes
  • GEOS3103/3803 Environmental and Sedimentary Geology
  • GEOG3888 Integrated Geographical Practice
  • AFNR5801 Climate Change: Process, History and Issues

Recent Honours Projects

Radvan, L. (2017) A geoarchaeological, geochemical and sedimentological record of human occupation from the medieval industrial city of Preah Khan of Kompong Svay, Cambodia. Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Job, T. (2015) A geochemical history of climate-activated acid release from acid sulfate soils in the lower Murray-Darling basin. Bachelor of Science.

Williams, G. (2013) Here be dragons: integrating scientific and traditional ecological knowledge for environmental management. Bachelor of Science.

Moss, E. (2013) A dust record from lacustrine sediment on North Stradbroke Island, Queensland: evidence for climate variability in central and south-eastern Australia during the late Quaternary. Bachelor of Science.

Recent Higher Degree Supervision Completions:

Hall, T (2018) A broader view of collapse: Using palaeo-ecological techniques to reconstruct occupation dynamics across a networked society undergoing transformation. Doctor of Philosophy.

Hamilton, R. (2017) Forest, fire and monsoon: A palaeo-environmental assessment of the ecological threshold dynamics of South-east Asia’s dry forests. Doctor of Philosophy.

Adlam, K. (2014) The value of the geological record in determining rates and drivers of coastal lagoon shoreline development. Doctor of Philosophy.

Interested in discussing potential Honours, Masters or PhD topics? Make the first step!

Drought Histories of Vietnam (2019 ongoing)

School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney

National University of Singapore

Wonders of the Mekong Project (2019 ongoing)

School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney

University of Nevada, Reno USA

Maya Resilience Project (2018 ongoing)

School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney

Australian Catholic University

University of Texas Austin

MIT

University College London

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Greater Angkor Project (2001 ongoing)

Department of Archaeology and the School of Geosciences

APSARA Authority (Cambodia)

École Française d’Exrtême-Orient (France)

Cambodian Crater Lakes Project (2010 ongoing)

School of Geosciences

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University (USA)

Ministry of Environment (Cambodia)

Past Global Changes (PAGES) 'Global Soil and Sediment Transfers in the Anthropocene' (GloSS) Working Group. Steering Committee Member, Regional Taskforce Leader for Southeast Asia. PAGES is a core project of Future Earth

Adjunct Research Scientist. Columbia University

Society of American Archaeology

American Association of Geographers

Institute of Australian Geographers

Asian Studies Association of Australia

Project titleResearch student
Reconstructing postglacial environmental change across high-altitude NSW: Implications for future biophysical responses to anthropogenic disturbancesJames BAKIS

Publications

Download citations: PDF; RTF; Endnote

Selected Grants

2022

  • Paleoenvironmental histories from montane Australia: Implications for future biophysical responses to climate, Penny D, NSW Department of Planning/Research Contract

2018

  • Wonders of the Mekong in Cambodia, Hogan Z, Penny D, Gillespie J, USAID/Research Support

In the media

2019 Radio National Late Night Live with Phillip Adams

2018 The Conversation 'How huge floods and complex infrastructure could have triggered ancient Angkor's demise'

2018 BBC World Service 'Science in Action' interview

2014 BBC documentary 'Jungle Atlantis: Angkor Wat’s Hidden Megacity'.

2012 French documentary “Angkor: The Kingdom with Feet of Clay”

2009 National Geographic magazine (Vol. 216 No. 1) 24-page article (including front cover and fold out) on the work of the Greater Angkor Project.

2009 interviews with Associated Press and Reuters regarding the role of drought in the collapse of Angkor.

2009 BBC Newshour interview

2002 National Geographic documentary film "Lost City"

2003 The Weekend Australian

2001 New Scientist.

1999 Radio Australia interview, Asia- Pacific Program