Resume Dr Tim B. Thornton

Qualifications

  • PhD (Economics), Department of Economics, La Trobe University 2013.
  • Master of Arts (International Development), School of Politics, Monash University, 2002.
  • Graduate Diploma of Arts (International Development), School of Politics, Monash University, 1998.
  • Diploma of Health Sciences, University of New England, 1991.

Current Employment and Affiliations

Publications and Presentations

Newspaper Articles, Opinion Pieces 

Media Interviews, Public Seminars and Workshops

  • 18th May 2023. Pluralist Economics. Presentation to Rethinking Economics, St Gallen, Switzerland. 
  • 9th Aug 2021. Better Economics and the Duty to Rescue, Big Ideas, Radio National, Australia, 9th August
  • 17-18th May 2021. A Better Economics for a Better World. Communities in Control Conference. 17-18th May, Melbourne, Australia
  • 5 June 2020. History and Theory of Cooperatives. Presentation to Earthworker Energy Manufacturing Cooperative. 
  • Oct 6 2020. Political Economy and Local Government. Presentation to Local Government Professionals, Melbourne.  
  • June 11 2020 Political Economy and Local Government. Presentation to Local Government Professionals, Melbourne. 
  • Oct 7 2020 Sustainable Economy Presentation to Darebin Climate Action Network.  
  • Oct 28 2020 What would a Sustainable Economy look like? Presentation to Extinction Rebellion.
  • Feb 8, 2020  Alternative Conceptions of a Sustainable Economy. National Sustainable Living Festival. Melbourne 
  • 20 March 2015. Panellist, Victoria VCE Teacher’s Conference 2015, Melbourne. Participating in the seminar on ‘Ethical Issues.’ and presenting an analysis of the claim ‘Development must be sustainable’.
  • 25 June 2014. Panellist, Smaller Government, Bigger Economy? Deficits and Growth. City of Melbourne event held at Federation Square, Melbourne. Co-panellists were The Hon. John Brumby, Professor Judith Sloan, and the CEO of ACOSS Dr Cassandra Goldie. Discussion was subsequently broadcast by Radio National’s Big Ideas program on 7 July 2014.
  • 9 May 2014. Panellist, Carrots and Sticks: Economics in Design for ‘SOL:id’ RMIT University. Co-panellists were Dr Gretchen Wilkins, RMIT University and Ian Shears from City of Melbourne.
  • September 2013. Interviewed for Radio National’s Hindsight in relation to the Sydney University political economy dispute.
  • Feb-March 2013. Lecturer for six-week course ‘Economics for Everyone’, Melbourne Free University.
  • November 2012. Interviewed and photographed as part of the article ‘Dark Days for the Dismal Science’, The Age, 6 November.
  • October 2012. Participant in the public seminar, ‘The Future of the Economics Education in Australia’, Monash University.
  • March 2004. Address on Political Advocacy of NGOs, Trades Hall, Melbourne, presented by the Fabian Society, the Labour Society and Overland.
  • March 2002. Participant in panel discussion on NGOs organised by the Victorian Writers Centre and Overland. Other panellists included Andrew Norton, Centre for Independent Studies and Gary Hughes, The Age.

Books

Book Editing

Book Chapters

  • Thornton, T (2022) ‘Pluralist Political Economy’ in Primrose, D., Stilwell, F., Thornton, T. (In-Press). Handbook of Alternative Theories of Political Economy, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
  • Stilwell, F & Thornton, T (2022) ‘Strategies for Educational Change’ in Primrose, D., Stilwell, F., Thornton, T. (In-Press). Handbook of Alternative Theories of Political Economy, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.
  • Thornton, T (2016) ‘The Coming Complexity Revolution?’ in Reclaiming Pluralism in Economics, eds. J Coursivanos, J Doughney and A Millmow, Routledge, London, pp. 238-49.

Journal articles

Academic Conference Papers 

  • Thornton, T (2017) ’What pathway to environmental, social and economic sustainability?’ paper presented at the Eco-Transitions Conference, organised by the Melbourne Institute for Sustainable Societies, Melbourne 1st December 2017.
  • Thornton, T (2017) “Post Keynesian political economy and its implications for a sustainable economy, society and environment” paper produced for the Eco-Transitions Conference, organised by the Melbourne Institute for Sustainable Societies, Melbourne 1st December 2017.
  • Thornton, T (2017) ‘Conceptual and theoretical foundations of the steady-state society’ Australian Political Science Association, Melbourne, 25 September, 2017.
  • Thornton, T (2014) ‘Clear and firm foundations? Recent work on morality and cooperation in institutional and evolutionary economics’ Society of Heterodox Economists, University of NSW, December 2, 2014.
  • Thornton, T. (2013) ‘The Classification of Political Economy within Australia’s Research Assessment Regime’ Society of Heterodox Economists, University of NSW, December 2, 2013.
  • Thornton, T. & Argyrous, G. (2013) ‘Teaching Political Economy’, presented at online conference The Economics Curriculum: Towards a Radical Reformation, World Economics Association, May 2013.
  • Thornton, T. & Argyrous, G. (2013) ‘Teaching Political Economy’, presented at the conference Australian Political Economy: State of the Art, University of Sydney, 3-5th April 2013.
  • Thornton, T. (2012) ‘Economic Pluralism and ‘Economics’ versus ‘Political Economy’ in Australian Universities’, presented at the 2012 Australian Conference of Economists, Melbourne, 8-12 July.
  • Thornton, T. (2011) ‘The Philosophy, Politics and Economics Degree and Heterodox Economics’, presented at the 2011 Society of Heterodox Economists Annual Conference, Sydney, 4-5 December.
  • Thornton, T. (2010) ‘What’s in a Name? Orthodox Economics, Heterodox Economics and Political Economy’ presented at the 2010 Society of Heterodox Economists Annual Conference, Sydney, 5-6 December.

Theses

Journal Refereeing

  • Review of Political Economy
  • Economic Papers
  • Journal of Australian Political Economy
  • Economic and Labour Relations Review
  • International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education
  • Australasian Journal of Economics Teaching.

Previous Employment

  • November 2016 to August 2018, Director, Politics, Philosophy and Economics Degree, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • October 2014 to October 2016 Director, Master of International Development, Department of Politics and Philosophy and Institute for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • July 2014 to July 2015. Research Officer, Department of Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
  • Dec 2013 to Oct 2014. Senior Research Assistant. School of Economics, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
  • Aug 2013 – Jun 2014. Sessional Lecturer, Department of Politics and Education, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 2007 to 2013. Associate Lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 2002 – 2007. Fixed Term and Sessional Lecturer and Subject Coordinator, Department of Economics, Monash University, Melbourne Australia.
  • 2001 – 2003. Project Manager, Monash-Austrade Company Case Studies and Surveys Database, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 2001. Research Officer, Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 2000. Research Assistant, Department of Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 1999. Project Officer, Australian APEC Study Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
  • 1995-1999 Project Officer, National Centre for South Asian Studies, Melbourne, Australia.

Awards

  • 2018 $1,000 La Trobe University Publishing Award .
  • 2016 $1,000 La Trobe University Publishing Award .
  • 2014 $2000 payment La Trobe University Publishing Award.
  • 2011 Best paper in category award at 2011 Society of Heterodox Economists Annual Conference, Sydney, 4-5 December.
    2008 $46,315 Faculty Major Research Grant (as a part of a four-member team).’
  • 2007 Award for excellence in teaching, Dept. of Economics, Monash University.
  • 2006 Award for excellence in teaching, Dept. of Economics, Monash University.

University Teaching

Department of Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University

  • Subject Coordinator, Political Economy – POL5CPE (2016, 2017,2018).
  • Subject Coordinator, Contemporary Political Economy – POL2PPE (2017, 2018)
  • Subject Coordinator, Field Methods for Development – DST5FMD (2015, 2018).
  • Subject Coordinator, Professional Competence in the Workplace – POL3PCW (2018)
  • Subject Coordinator, Politics, Philosophy and Economics – POL1PPE (2016, 2017, 2018).
  • Subject Coordinator, Contemporary Approaches to Development – DST5MDF (2018)
  • Subject Co-Coordinator, Making Social Change Happen – POL5MSH (2015, 2016).
  • Subject Coordinator, Development and Environment – DST5DAE (2016).
  • Subject Coordinator, International Development Internship – DST5INT (2014-2016).
  • Subject Coordinator, International Development Research Project – DST5IDR (2014-2016).
  • Subject Co-Coordinator, Issues in International Development – POL5ISD (2015, 2018).
  • Guest Lecturing at La Trobe: Contemporary Approaches to Development – DST5CAD (2015), States in Transition: Peacebuilding after Civil War and Regime Change – POL5QAQ (2015), Contemporary Politics of Northeast Asia – POL2CPA (2015, 2016).
  • Guest Lecturer on economic governance for the subject Governance and Social Policy – PPMN90044 University of Melbourne (2015, 2016).
  • Guest Lecturer on the subject of economics and public policy for the subject Public Policy in Australia – POL30010 Swinburne University (2014).

School of Education and Social Science, Swinburne University

  • 2014 Lecturer and Subject Coordinator, Conflict and its Resolution – POL20011.
  • 2014 Guest Lecturer Australian Foreign Policy – POL20008.
  • 2013 Lecturer and Subject Coordinator, Global Politics – HAP117.

School of Economics, La Trobe University

  • 2013. Lecturer, Sustainability in Global Business.
  • 2011-2012. Programme Coordinator: Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) degree.
  • 2009-2012. Lecturer and Subject Coordinator Competing Approaches in Contemporary Economics.
  • 2011-2012. Subject Coordinator, PPE Macroeconomics and PPE Microeconomics years one to three.
  • 2012. Honours Directed Readings in heterodox macroeconomics.
  • 2011. Honours supervisor, Mr Ben Brocchi. Topic of study: the relevance of controlled randomised testing in international development.
  • 2011. Lecturer and Subject Coordinator for the third/fourth-year economic history subject Growth and Decline in the Global Economy.
  • 2009. Lecturer and Subject Coordinator for the second-year economic history subject Modern World Economy.
  • 2009. Supervisor for honours thesis by Mr Timur Behlul. Thesis title: Are Minsky’s Ideas more applicable to the Great Recession or the Great Depression. An extract from this thesis was later published in the ‘A’ ranked Journal of Post-Keynesian Economics.
  • 2008. Subject Coordinator for the third-year subject Comparative Economics Systems.
  • 2008. Honours Directed Readings in institutional economics.
  • 2008. Tutor, Introductory Statistics.
  • 2008. Assessor and moderator for La Trobe’s external programs in microeconomics.
  • 2008. Tutor and tutorial coordinator Introductory Microeconomics

Monash University

  • 2004-2007. Lecturer and Subject Coordinator for the third-year subject Globalisation and Economic Systems.
  • 2003 – 2006. Lecturer for the second-year economic history subject Business in Asia
  • 2002 – 2004. Guest Lecturer for second-year subject Australia in the Asian Business World.
  • 2004 – 2006. Guest Lecturer for the Masters Subject Investigating Asia.