Elizabeth Tynan

Professor Elizabeth Tynan PhD is Head of the Professional Development Program at the JCU Graduate Research School. She teaches academic writing, editing and critical thinking skills to HDR candidates. She works closely with all JCU HDR candidates to help them maximise their ability to communicate their research, as well as guiding them through the Professional Development Program. She also has an adjunct appointment at the College of Arts, Society and Education.

Professor Tynan is a prominent researcher of the history of British atomic weapons testing in Australia, and her first book on the topic (Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story) won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History and the CHASS Australia Prize for a Book in 2017.

Her latest book, The Secret of Emu Field: Britain's Forgotten Atomic Tests in Australia, was published by NewSouth Publishing in May 2022. This is the first book-length account of little-known British atomic tests in the South Australian desert. She is working on the third book in the atomic tests trilogy, an account of tests held at Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia.

Professor Tynan is a former journalism academic with a background in both print and electronic media, specialising in science writing and editing. She worked for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a reporter and subeditor, and was later Sydney correspondent for New Scientist.

She is co-author of the Oxford University Press textbook Media and Journalism: New Approaches to Theory and Practice, now in its third edition. She is also co-author and co-ordinating editor of the OUP text, Communication for Business, released in October 2013. This textbook won best Tertiary (Wholly Australian): Teaching and Learning Resource in the Australian Publishing Association Educational Awards in September 2014.

Her PhD in history of science/science communication from the Australian National University examined aspects of the British nuclear tests in Australia in the 1950s and 1960s

Note to prospective HDR candidates looking for an advisor: Prof Tynan is currently considering projects connected to the history of the British atomic test program in Australia.

Her 2016 book Atomic Thunder: The Maralinga Story was published by NewSouth Publishing. Atomic Thunder won the Council for Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Australia Prize for a Book on 10 October 2017 and the Prime Minister's Literary Award (Australian History) on 1 December 2017.

Her 2022 book The Secret of Emu Field: Britain's Forgotten Atomic Tests in Australia has been described as "fastidiously researched and brimming with detail", while her atomic weapons research was described by The Australian as "...one of the most significant projects being undertaken in the study of Australian history".

Listen to Afternoon Light podcast

Listen to Late Night Live with Phillip Adams interview about The Secret of Emu Field

Read her most recent article in The Conversation

Listen to Conversations on ABC radio on Atomic Thunder