Stefanie R Fishel

Biography

Dr Stefanie Fishel is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of the Sunshine Coast, where she brings a unique perspective to global politics by weaving together political theory, environmental ethics, and the challenges of the Anthropocene. Her work asks bold questions about how we imagine the world and its governance in an era of climate crisis and ecological transformation.

Dr Fishel’s research explores the intersections of international relations, environmental law, and new materialist thought, challenging traditional notions of sovereignty and security. She is particularly interested in how metaphors of the body and microbial life can reshape our understanding of global thriving and multispecies justice. Her scholarship invites us to rethink what it means to live well on a planet shared with countless other forms of life.

She is the author of The Microbial State: Global Thriving and the Body Politic (University of Minnesota Press, 2017), a groundbreaking work that reimagines political community through the lens of microbiology. Her other co-authored and co-edited books, The Ecology Politic (MIT Press, 2025), Institutionalising Multispecies Justice (CUP, 2024), and Environmentalism after Humanism (Palgrave, 2024), continue this trajectory, offering new frameworks for ecological governance and ethics.

Before joining UniSC, Stefanie held academic positions in the United States and Australia, including roles at the University of Alabama, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Colgate University, and UNSW Canberra. She has published widely in leading journals, including International Political Sociology, Review of International Studies, International Affairs, Millennium, Nature, and Contemporary Political Theory. Her work has been recognised with awards, including an Honourable Mention for the Charles Taylor Book Award.

Passionate about teaching and research, Stefanie is dedicated to promoting ecological justice and innovative approaches to global challenges. Her work speaks to anyone interested in the future of international politics, environmental justice, and the possibilities of life beyond human-centred frameworks.

Professional memberships

• International Studies Association
• Earth Systems Governance Junior Fellow
• British International Studies Association
• Australian Political Studies Association

Awards

• Rector’s Fellow, UNSW, Canberra, 2018-2019
• Honourable Mention, The Charles Taylor Book Award, American Political Science Association, 2018

Teaching areas

• International Relations
• Political Theory
• Environmental Politics
• International Security
• International Law

Expert Media Commentary

Environmental issues, US politics