Emeritus Professor
Citation delivered by Professor Adam Trevitt, Acting Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Kristine Owen French as an Emeritus Professor on 21 April 2026.
Chancellor, I present to you Senior Professor Kristine French.
In ecology, the most enduring contributions are those that not only expand understanding of the natural world but also guide how societies care for it. Over a distinguished career, Kristine has combined rigorous science, practical application and generous leadership to address some of Australia’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Kristine is a leading research ecologist specialising in invasion ecology, urban ecology and conservation biology. She joined the University of Wollongong in 1993 and over the following decades became one of its most influential academic figures. She served as Director of the Janet Cosh Herbarium for 30 years, from 1993 to 2023, strengthening this important scientific collection and extending its reach through innovative community engagement. She held the position of Professor for 11 years before retiring from the University in October 2024, leaving a lasting imprint on the School of Science.
Kristine’s research has focused on how natural and human-driven disturbances shape plant and animal communities, and how management strategies can be improved to protect biodiversity.
She has published more than 150 scientific papers and is widely recognised for empirical, solution-focused research on invasive species, urban impacts, climate change and pesticide effects. Her work has built enduring partnerships with land management agencies and directly informed policy and on-ground practice.
A major national contribution was her leadership in starting the Ecosystem Science Long-Term Plan, developed with the Australian Academy of Science and the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network. This resulted in the influential report ‘Foundations for the future: A long-term plan for Australian ecosystem science’. Her standing in the discipline is reflected in extensive service, including leadership of major professional bodies, editorial roles with leading journals, and ongoing appointments to advisory committees that have shaped threatened species and invasive species policy. In 2022, she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Ecological Society of Australia for a lifetime of research and service.
Teaching and mentorship have been central to Kristine’s career. She developed and directed the Bachelor of Conservation Biology, attracting high-achieving students and producing graduates now working across government, research and academia. She also designed a coordinated statistics curriculum that continues to support student learning across biology. She has supervised more than 80 Honours students and more than 35 postgraduate completions. This contribution was recognised with a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Supervision in 2021. Kristine has been a generous mentor to students and colleagues, a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, and a connector between the University and community initiatives such as Birds in Backyards and local Bushcare groups.
Her career embodies the University’s commitment to research excellence, education with impact, and service to community and environment.
Chancellor, it is my privilege to present Senior Professor Kristine French for admission as an Emeritus Professor.