Sarah Wheeler

Sarah Wheeler is a Professor of Water Economics at the University of Adelaide's School of Economics and Public Policy within the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. She also holds the position of Matthew Flinders Professor of Water Economics at Flinders University's College of Business, Government and Law. As leader of the Water, Environment and Food economics policy group (WEF group) and member of the university's Environment Institute executive management board, she maintains significant academic influence.

Her research interests span water economics, irrigated farming systems, climate change adaptation, Murray-Darling Basin management, organic farming economics, water market mechanisms, water scarcity challenges, agricultural mental health, and food waste reduction. These interests reflect her practical background growing up on farms in New South Wales combined with rigorous academic training.

Professor Wheeler serves as Associate Editor of Agricultural Economics and sits on multiple editorial boards including International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and Water. She previously edited the Australasian Journal of Water Resources and served as Associate Editor for Water Resources and Economics and the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

• ARC Future Fellow (2014-2018)
• Jill Hudson award for environmental protection at SA Environment Awards (2023)
• Distinguished Fellow of AARES
• Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia

Her professional experience includes economist positions at Rural Solutions South Australia, ESCAP United Nations in Bangkok, the UK Environment Agency, and the South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, providing international perspective to her academic work.