Professor Kerrie Wilson commenced in the role of the Queensland Chief Scientist on 1 November 2023.
Her distinguished career encompasses roles at QUT, including Pro Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability and Research Integrity), and her tenure as the Executive Director of the QUT Institute for Future Environments.
Professor Wilson is one of Australia’s leading researchers into the science, strategy and policy of conservation. With a track record in key leadership roles and driving collaboration with national and international stakeholders, she will ensure Queensland remains at the forefront of science.
Before joining QUT in 2019, Professor Wilson was the Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and an ARC Future Fellow at The University of Queensland.
She is also an Affiliated Professor in Conservation Science at The University of Copenhagen, a member of the Australian Heritage Council, and previously a member of the Reef 2050 Plan Independent Expert Panel.
Professor Wilson has held leadership positions including Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy Australia and the Australian Natural Sciences Commissioner for UNESCO.
She 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, two ARC Research Fellowships and an Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Young Researcher.
She holds a Bachelor in Environmental Science (First Class Honours) from the University of Queensland and a PhD from The University of Melbourne, undertaken in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre, based in Cambridge.