Sally E Thompson

Sally E Thompson is an Associate Professor of Ecohydrology at the University of Western Australia (UWA). She leads the Ecohydrology Research Group, conducting global research on the interplay between ecosystems, water cycles, and human/natural systems. Her work spans Australia, Brazil, India, Ethiopia, and Oceania, employing mathematical modeling, remote sensing, and field observations.

Education: BSc in Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Engineering from UWA (undergraduate), PhD in Hydrology from Duke University (2010, supported by a General Sir John Monash Award). Postdoctoral roles at Princeton and Purdue Universities preceded her faculty appointments. At UC Berkeley (2012–2019), she held the Claire and Hsieh-Wen Shen Distinguished Research Chair before moving to UWA in 2019.

Research focuses include Critical Zone Science via the Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network, groundwater recharge dynamics in Western Australia's Gnangara Aquifer, and urban tree resilience through the Canopy Resilience Project. Collaborations involve multiple Australian universities and government bodies.

Awards:

• US NSF CAREER Award
• AGU Early Career Award in Hydrology
• EGU Jim Dooge Award

Grants & Projects:

• ARC LIEF-funded OzCZO network
• Western Australian coastal plain groundwater monitoring
• Citizen science engagement in Perth's urban canopy health

Her work bridges academia and applied water resource management, addressing climate change impacts on hydrological systems.