Dickman, Christopher Richard (Chris) (1955 - )

Summary

Chris Dickman is internationally recognised for his pioneering research on terrestrial vertebrates. His work has focused on understanding factors that affect distribution, abundance and population dynamics, particular in arid environments, and transformed thinking about threatened species conservation and pest control. In 2004 Dickman was appointed Professor in Terrestrial Ecology at the University of Sydney.

Details

"Christopher Dickman is an ecologist, internationally recognised for his contributions to our understanding of terrestrial vertebrates. His pioneering research shows that competition, predation and indirect interactions have more profound and pervasive effects on mammalian population dynamics than previously thought, and has transformed thinking about how these interactions can be harnessed in programs of threatened species conservation and pest control. His ground-breaking research on interactions in arid ecosystems has uncovered novel processes including, long-distance movements, widespread omnivory and extreme behavioural opportunism that are unique to Australian mammals. His work has challenged and redirected thinking that desert organisms show global convergence in their adaptations." [from https://www.science.org.au/profile/chris-dickman 19/7/2022]

Chronology

1976

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Leeds, United Kingdom

1980

Award - Eiils Troughton Memorial Award, Australian Mammal Society

1982

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Australian National University

1982 - 1984

Career position - Academic Visitor, University of Oxford

1985 - 1988

Career position - Lecturer in Zoology, University of Western Australia

1989 - 1991

Career position - Lecturer in Biology, University of Sydney

1992 - 1997

Career position - Senior Lecturer in Biology, University of Sydney

1998 - 2003

Career position - Reader in Biology, University of Sydney

2000 - 2003

Career position - President, Australian Mammal Society

2001 -

Award - Fellow, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

2004 -

Career position - Professor in Terrestrial Ecology (Personal Chair), University of Sydney

2004

Award - Whitley Award for A fragile balance: the extraordinary story of Australian marsupials, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

2008

Award - C. Hart Merriam Award, American Society of Mammalogists

2010

Award - Award for Plant and Animal Sciences, New South Wales Science and Engineering Awards

2012 -

Award - Fellow and Honorary Life Member, Australian Mammal Society

2015

Award - Clarke Medal, Royal Society of New South Wales

2016

Award - Whitley Award (joint) for fifth volume of Handbook of the mammals of the world, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales

2018 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

2018

Award - Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal

2021

Award - International Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Related entries

Published resources

Books

• Baker, Andrew; and Dickman, Chris, Secret lives of carnivorous marsupials (Clayton South, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, 2018), 328 pp. Details
• Dickman, Christopher and Ganf, Rosemary Woodford, A Fragile Balance: the Extraordinary Story of Australia's Marsupials (Fishermans Bend (Vic.) : Craftsman House, 2007), 246 pp. Details
• Lunney, Daniel and Dickman, Chris, A Zoological Revolution: Using Native Fauna to Assist in its Own Survival (Sydney: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales and Australian Museum, 2002), 176 pp. Details

Edited Books

• Lunney, Daniel, Dickman, Chris and Burgin, Shelley eds, A Clash of Paradigms: Community and Research-Based Conservation (Mosman: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales., 2002), 104 pp. Details
• Robin, Libby, Dickman, Christopher R.; and Martin, Mandy eds, Desert Channels: The Impulse to Conserve (Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing, 2010), 352 pp. Details

Journal Articles

• Banks, Peter B.; Cleary, Grainne P.; and Dickman, Chris R., 'Sydney's bubonic plague outbreak 1900 - 1910: a disaster for foreshore wildlife?', Australian Zoologist, 35 (4) (2011), 1033-9. Details
• Dickman, C. R.; Newsome, T. M.; and van Eeden, L., 'The dingo dilemma: a brief history of a debate', Australian zoologist, 41 (3) (2021), 298-321. https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2020.029. Details
• Dickman, Chris, 'New Fellows of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Peter Fleming FRZS, 2019', Australian zoologist, 41 (2) (2021), 287-8. Details
• Dickman, Chris R., 'New Fellows of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW: 2010 [Harold Cogger and Michael Calver]', Australian zoologist, 35 (4) (2011), 991-5. Details
• Dickman, Christopher, 'New Fellows of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Dr Bradley Law FRZS', Australian zoologist, 42 (1) (2022), 160-1. https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2022.003. Details
• Dickman, Christopher, 'New Fellows of the Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Dr Ayesha Tulloch FRZS', Australian zoologist, 42 (1) (2022), 158-9, https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2022.002. Details
• Dickman, Christopher R.; and Robin, Libby, 'Putting Science in its Place: the Role of Sandringham Station in Fostering Arid Zone Science in Australia', Historical Records of Australian Science, 25 (2) (2014), 186-201, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR14014. Details

Resources

• 'Chris Dickman - Citation at year of election, 2018', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Science, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/chris-dickman. Details