Sally Thompson

Sally Thompson is a Professor and Associate Professor at the School of Engineering (Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering) at The University of Western Australia (UWA), affiliated with the Centre for Water and Spatial Science and the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment. She holds roles as Co-Director of the Centre for Water and Spatial Science and Co-Chair of the Environmental Engineering Program. Her research focuses on ecohydrology, surface hydrology, climate change, and mathematical modeling, with projects spanning the US, Brazil, India, Ethiopia, and Australia. She received her undergraduate degrees from UWA, a PhD from Duke University, and postdoctoral training at Princeton and Purdue Universities. Previously, she was an Assistant and Associate Professor at UC Berkeley before joining UWA in 2019.

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s in Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Engineering (UWA)
  • PhD in Hydrology (Duke University)
• Key Roles:
  • Co-Director, Centre for Water and Spatial Science
  • Co-Chair, Environmental Engineering Program

Research Interests: Sally explores how ecological changes impact water systems and vice versa, with a focus on ecohydrology, climate change, and Critical Zone Science. She employs mathematical modeling, remote sensing, and field observations, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental sustainability and agriculture.

Grants & Projects: She leads or co-leads 16 grants, including initiatives on water management, climate impacts on grasslands, and urban heat mitigation. Notable projects include the 'Ripple Effect' collaboration and the WA State Government-funded TERN project.

Labs & Teams: Her laboratory focuses on ecohydrological dynamics, with global fieldwork and collaborations. She actively engages in public outreach via blogs and media, including the 'Canopy Resilience Project' to study tree health in Perth's urban areas.