I am a world-leading researcher and currently ranked as one of the world’s top 1% of nursing scientists. My research and teaching are designed to inform, influence and improve health outcomes for individuals and communities. I have written twelve books and over 250 journal publications. I have been the recipient of multiple teaching and research awards, and over seven million dollars in grant funding.

In 2022, with a deep concern for the state of planet and a growing recognition of the critical need for nursing and midwifery leadership to address the health sector’s impact on the environment, I decided to use my platform and position to promote planetary health and to harness the collective interest of others who shared my commitment to creating a healthier and more sustainable future for current and future generations. This was the impetus for the establishment of the Planetary Health Collaborative for Nurses and Midwives.

I am a registered Architect and the Planning and Design Principal at the University of the Sunshine Coast since 2022. I consider it a great privilege to be involved in the custodianship of the buildings and infrastructure of UniSC, several of which were leading experiments in passive sub-tropical design of their time. Shifting from a consulting architect to a client side strategic role brings the benefits of being able to steer an organisation’s design guidelines and construction scope to hold true to the sustainability principals laid out in higher level executive documents.

As the young university matures, I am keen to see the explicit embedding of sustainability principals in detailed operations as well as implement an inclusive approach to design and consultation; with the 2023 Sunshine Coast Campus Masterplan, adopted formally in 2024, a strong example in this.

My approach to engaging with sustainability is grounded in inclusivity, critical reflection, and embodied practice. I view sustainability not just as an environmental issue, but as a deeply interconnected social, cultural, and ethical commitment. I prioritise listening to underrepresented voices and co-creating knowledge and actions that reflect diverse perspectives and lived experiences.

In my teaching, I embed transformative learning experiences that empower students to become change agents. Through community partnerships, I seek to bridge academic and local knowledge to create meaningful, place-based impact. Personally, I live my values through everyday sustainable practices and volunteer work, modelling sustainability as a way of life.

I believe leadership in sustainability is most powerful when it is shared, grounded in justice, and lived across personal, professional, and community contexts. Ultimately, my approach is about fostering collective responsibility and empowering others to lead in ways that are authentic, inclusive, and transformative.

My passion for sustainability and science drives my mission to make research more environmentally responsible. My work leading the Greengineers Green Impact team and as Sustainability Champion for the Materials Characterisation and Fabrication Platform (MCFP) has shown how stubbornly optimistic and inclusive leadership can drive small changes, like reducing lab waste and resource use, and have lasting impact. I’ve guided MCFP’s efforts to achieve My Green Lab certification, which is setting a benchmark for sustainable science at Melbourne. By encouraging behavioural change and advancing our involvement in sustainability programs, I contribute to the University’s broader environmental goals.

Beyond campus, I co-founded Labs Who Care, a national network that empowers STEMM professionals to embed sustainability into their practices and advocate for sustainability at national and international conferences. To me, sustainability is as integral to research excellence as is safety and ethics and ensures science can continue providing solutions to today’s problems.

I’m a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RMIT’s School of Fashion & Textiles, championing circularity in the fashion industry. I led the development of the Refashioning Circular Design Guide, a practical, open-source tool funded by Sustainability Victoria and co-created with the Country Road Group, to help fashion teams embed circular design at scale. The guide has gained national attention and uptake by the Seamless Clothing Stewardship Scheme.

I organised two major Melbourne Fashion Week panels to promote sustainable innovation and published related work in Waste Management Review and Nature Cities. My work has sparked cross-sector collaboration between academia, government, and industry, including my recent nomination for the Emerging Circular Leader Award.

I continue to advocate for systemic change through teaching, research, and public engagement, recently being appointed Circular Campus Lead. I believe design-led innovation, grounded in real-world application, can drive a just and regenerative future for fashion.