Online Seminar Series

Sue has lived and worked in rural landscapes across four states and six bioregions in eastern
Australia. A plant ecologist by training, her particular skills are in communicating the workings of the
natural world, and the way human actions determine which native and exotic species can live in the
landscape.
Sue was a Senior Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, where for 20 years she worked with
colleagues to develop important themes in landscape ecology and sustainable use of grazing lands.
She has led major projects working with the rice industry, the livestock industry, and Land and Water
Australia. For the international Global Change and Terrestrial Ecosystems program Sue ran a project
involving scientists from 20 countries synthesizing research on the responses of vegetation to
grazing and other disturbances. She was recently listed among the world's top 2% of most highly
cited scientists in ecology.
She has advised the federal government as a member of both the Council for Sustainable Vegetation
Management and the Threatened Species Conservation Committee, and served on the board of
Bush Heritage Australia for eight years. Sue is a foundation partner in the Mulligans Flat -
Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment, a 1,400 ha woodland restoration project in the ACT.
In recent years, she has prioritised field-based work: hands-on management, research and
observation. The ongoing restoration of 50 ha of grassy woodland and forest has been a means of
understanding the critical elements of successful weed control and habitat management.
She is currently an Honorary Professor at the Fenner School at the Australian National University.
She continues to work at the interface of scientific publishing and a general readership.