Hannah earned her BSc in Botany and Conservation Biology and first class honours in Botany at the University of Western Australia. She is currently completing PhD research, focussing on the ecological impacts of large-scale, catastrophic wildfire events in southwest Australia. Hannah recently spent six months on a Fulbright Scholarship working in the laboratory of Professor Scott Stephens at University of California Berkeley, researching wildfire impacts and prescribed burning in California. Hannah’s PhD research investigates the ecological impacts of catastrophic wildfire. The forested regions of Australia and North America have both witnessed unprecedented large-scale wildfire events over the last decade, and wildfire in both regions is projected increase in frequency and severity over the next century. However, the ecological impacts of such events and consequences for future management are poorly understood.
Hannah’s research will promote the sharing of knowledge between Australia and the U.S., forging research ties and developing collaborative projects to understand catastrophic wildfire events in a global context.