Emilie leads the Cross-cultural Ecology, Education and Restoration Lab at MQU. She is regularly invited to advise on and contribute to innovative and ethical cross-cultural approaches to science. She is founding member of the Ecological Society of Australia's Indigenous Engagement Working Group (since 2010) and was awarded the ESA Members Service Prize in 2022. Emilie and her team have won many awards for their cross-cultural collaborative work including the 2017 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science, 2014 Banksia Award for Indigenous Leadership in Sustainability, Australian Academy of Science PhD and ECR Awards (Campbell, 2022; Russell, 2023), and ESA Right-way Science (McKemey 2019, 2020; Campbell, 2023; Robinson, 2024) and Applied Forestry (Jones, 2024) Awards.   

Following completion of her BSc (Hons 1, UNSW), PhD (University of Wollongong, 2007) and first Post Doc in Weed Ecology (Charles Darwin University, 2007/8) she started collaborating with Indigenous researchers as an ECR through the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at The ANU (2008-2012). Here she began to work closely with Indigenous communities, mainly from Arnhem Land, and multidisciplinary CAEPR colleagues to develop new cross-cultural approaches to science and environmental management. In 2013, Emilie received an ARC DECRA (2013-2016) and moved to MQU where she taught into the Environmental Management degree (2012-2023). In 2018 she initiated the Wuyagiba Bush Uni with colleagues and Elders of Arnhem Land which is now recognised as a nationally important example and local solution to Closing the Gap in remote Aboriginal Higher Education. In 2023, Emilie went back to full-time research on an ARC Future Fellowship (2023-2027) where she is working on restoring native Edible Root Grounds with Dharug and Yolngu colleagues.

Emilie's CCEER research and education team work on a range of topics, as directed by Indigenous colleagues, including invasive species, fire, freshwater wetlands, coastal floodplains, climate change, genetics, species modelling and maintenance of Aboriginal languages, knowledge and Country. All of the CCEER teams work is conducted in close partnership with Indigenous colleagues to improve cross-cultural knowledge sharing, environmental management and education opportunities, and ultimately, enhanced social and environmental justice. 

Further details on Emilie and the CCEER Lab Awards, Publications, Grants and Impacts are detailed here in this PURE profile.