Emma Johnston was the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, who died at the age of 52. She was an ecologist of marine life, visionary in her leadership of science and research. A passionate advocate for the environment. Brilliant and engaging communicator. And a loving mentor. Emma was our friend.
Emma was born in 1973 in Melbourne and quickly rose to fame. She was a science lover, a problem solver and admired teamwork. She was the dux of University High School, Melbourne. (There is now a home named in her honor).
Emma completed a Ph.D. in marine ecology at the University of Melbourne in 2001. She then became a lecturer in UNSW, where she established a successful research group that studied the effects of climate change and pollution on coastal and marine ecosystems. She established the Sydney Harbour Research Program in 2005 to better understand this city’s natural resource and implement remediation measures.
The themes of interdependence, complexity and resilience in ecosystems would guide her career as a leader for research and an ardent advocate for science.
Emma was adamant that research is about collaboration, not personal recognition. She mentored many colleagues and supervised 33 PhDs, honours and postdoctoral students. Emma, who was always busy but not hurried in her work, loved to meet bright, curious individuals.
She was selected to give the speech after dinner at the 64th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting.
She has received numerous awards for her research and communication of science, including the NSW Premier’s Award for Biological Sciences and the inaugural Nancy Millis Award for Women in Science from the Australian Academy of Science.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 for her contributions to scientific research and higher education. In 2019, she became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and of the Australian Academy of Science.
Emma Johnston and her husband Sam arrive with the Marie Claire Women of the Year Awards at Sydney on Wednesday, November 13 2024.
AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi
Emma’s leadership is evident in many ways. She enjoyed loud political debates and noisy change when she was president of her student union at the university. She would remind friends whenever she felt undervalued by a colleague that she had been prepared for the worst reception during her time as president of the student union.
Her natural charm and her genuine joy at discovering the beauty of the ocean were well received by audiences around the world.
Emma was elected president of Science & Technology Australia in 2017. She helped to establish the Superstars of STEM Program, which aims to increase the visibility of non-binary and women scientists.
Around the same time she was named Dean of Sciences at UNSW. Initially, however, there were some reservations about the impact the position would have on her relationship with her young children. She refused to accept more childcare money when her potential employer made the offer. Instead, she said that she wanted to be with her two young children and would prefer to stay home.
Emma, who had spent a year as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at Sydney University, returned to Sydney in February 2025. alma mater As Vice-Chancellor of Melbourne University. The appointment has given her the best opportunity to achieve her goal of creating a climate-resilient, well-informed and motivated population that is able to weather storms and create a bright future for mankind and planet.
Emma was a leader in Australian science and had a wide impact as a board member at CSIRO, and a Governor of the Ian Potter Foundation.
Her purpose was clear and she had an unwavering hope in humanity. She had a ten-year strategy to create an empowered, resilient and extraordinary Australia. Her resilience plan for the University of Melbourne was finalized just weeks prior to her death, on 26 December 2025.
Emma, as director of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Government’s 2021 State of the Environment Report, led the report. She stressed that oceans could only take so much heat without a catastrophic collapse. Emma was determined to save the entire world but, like the ocean, she couldn’t do much.
Emma knew she had limited time and so she doubled down on her mission in the final months of her life. She was only 52 when she passed away from cancer-related complications, but she had not finished parenting, saving the world, nurturing the young, and changing the landscape of Australian higher education and research.
She said in a voicemail she sent to us recently (Kylie):
My life has been driven by a passion for science, my desire to help others achieve and flourish, and the love I have of people. In that sense, I think I’ve achieved more than I had ever hoped to.
Emma Johnston is survived by her two children and husband Sam. She was truly a pioneer of our time, but her light burnt out far too early.
