About
Professor Fran Sheldon is a leading academic and administrator at Griffith University, serving as Head of the School of Environment and Science since 2022. She holds a Professorship in the Australian Rivers Institute, focusing on river hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology in arid systems like the Murray-Darling Basin. With degrees from The University of Adelaide (BSc, BSc Honours, PhD) and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education from Griffith University, she has pioneered research on river ecosystem health, low-flow impacts, and restoration ecology.
- Roles: Head of School (2022–present), Dean of Learning & Teaching (2016–2022), Deputy Head of School (2015–2016)
- Key Projects: ARC Linkage projects on stream health, Murray-Darling Basin Authority studies, National Environmental Science Program grants
Her research emphasizes dryland river resilience, freshwater mussels, and groundwater-vegetation interactions. She advises government bodies like the NSW Natural Resources Commission and chairs the Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel. Supervised over 30 PhD students, focusing on topics like wetland regeneration, mussel conservation, and ecoacoustics.
Notable contributions include the 2019 assessment of Darling River fish deaths and a 2025 study on Australia’s inland water systems. Active in interdisciplinary science-policy collaboration, she advocates for evidence-based water management and climate resilience strategies.
