Jennifer Brown

Professor Jennifer Brown is a distinguished academic in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury, Faculty of Engineering, where she has been Professor since December 1996. She maintains an international reputation in survey design and environmental monitoring, frequently collaborating with both statisticians and biologists across various application areas. Her work spans environmental statistics, human health and wellbeing, and theoretical statistics.

Education:

• PhD, University of Otago, Dunedin (1996)
• PG Diploma Science, Massey University, Palmerston North (1992)
• B.For.Sc (hons.), University of Canterbury, Christchurch (1986)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership, University of Canterbury (2016)
• New Zealand Diploma in Health and Wellbeing, CareerForce, Wellington (2020)

Professor Brown's research interests primarily focus on environmental statistics, survey design, and environmental monitoring. She has expertise in collaborative research across multiple disciplines, working with agencies in France, Italy, Spain, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Her work extends to theoretical statistics, including regression trees and sampling theory, while maintaining strong connections to practical applications in environmental science and health. She has hosted international workshops on survey design and environmental monitoring and is committed to developing leadership in mathematical sciences.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on spatial statistics and sampling methodologies, with particular emphasis on spatially balanced sampling techniques, adaptive sampling designs, and environmental monitoring applications. The research trends indicate a consistent progression toward more sophisticated spatial statistical methods with practical applications in environmental monitoring, resource assessment, and ecological studies, while also expanding into health-related statistical applications.

Scientific Awards:

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK)
• NZSA Campbell Award
• New Zealand Statistical Association Lifetime Member
• International Statistical Institute Elected member

Professor Brown has supervised numerous graduate students across PhD, Masters, and undergraduate levels, with research topics spanning statistical learning, spatial statistics, healthcare applications, and sampling methods. She has been actively involved in research projects related to environmental monitoring, health and wellbeing, and statistical methodology development. Her teaching includes specialized courses in sampling methods and generalized linear models.

She is Associate Director of the Biomathematics Research Centre and researcher in the NZ Health Ageing Research Group, maintaining strong connections between theoretical statistical development and practical applications in environmental science and health research.