Kerrie Wilson
Position:
Queensland Chief Scientist, Professor
Department:
Queensland Chief Scientist, School of Biology & Environmental Science
Role:
Chair Advisory Committee
Research Institution:
Geographic Coverage:
Queensland
BIO
Professor Kerrie Wilson is the Queensland Chief Scientist. She was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability and Research Integrity) at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Executive Director of the Institute for Future Environments and the Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions. Kerrie was an ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland and is an Affiliated Professor in Conservation Science at The University of Copenhagen. Her main areas of research relate to how to conserve or restore biodiversity and the socio-political factors that influence investment success in natural resource management.
Kerrie has more than two decades of experience leading and conducting research into the science, strategy and policy of environmental conservation. She is currently a member of the Australian Heritage Council, and previously a member of the Reef 2050 Plan Independent Expert Panel and the Australian Natural Sciences Commissioner for UNESCO. Kerrie is known for her ability to build strong relationships, strategic thinking, adept complex problem-solving skills, and deep engagement with internal and external partners and stakeholders. Being a strong advocate for gender equity in STEM, she has contributed to numerous initiatives to advance the role of women in science.
Kerrie is a leading interdisciplinary decision scientist with more than 180 research publications focusing on applied resource allocation problems, such as where to invest limited resources to protect or restore biodiversity and what factors influence success. She has demonstrated how to integrate social, economic and ecological analyses to improve evaluation and prediction of the outcomes of environmental policies. Kerrie has received numerous awards, including the Prime Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, the Australian Academy of Science Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science, and an Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Young Researcher.
Kerrie sees leading highly motivated, collaborative and interdisciplinary teams as the key to building high impact research and forging strategic partnerships. Kerrie is recognised for being down to earth, approachable, and collegial, while willing to tackle the difficult issues.