Lynne El Hassan

I am a PhD Candidate at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at The Australian National University. My PhD research focuses on the role of religion and spirituality in shaping how youth value and relate to nature, and how these perspectives influence their responses to environmental and sustainability challenges.

Children and young people are often a key audience for environmental and sustainability communication efforts, yet their perspectives are frequently overlooked in favour of adult-driven approaches. My research explores how youth themselves understand and engage with these issues, bringing to the forefront the underexamined yet potentially powerful influences of religion and spirituality.

By highlighting youth voices and lived experiences, this work aims to support more inclusive, meaningful and effective science communication. Ultimately, it contributes to a growing understanding of how diverse values and worldviews influence engagement with environmental and sustainability challenges.

My supervisory panel consists of Dr Graham Walker (primary), Dr Karina Judd, and Dr Jasper Montana from CPAS, alongside Dr Lyndsay Newett from the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics.