Associate Professor Leonie J. Pearson is an ecological economist specialising in sustainable development governance and received her Ph.D from the University of Queensland. Her research bridges academic innovation with real-world policy transformation, developing economic frameworks that prove their worth through implementation across diverse settings. She has been recognised a runner up with the UC Research Excellence Award (2024) and the Faculty BGL Rising Star Award (2023). Her research focus encompasses:

• Environmental governance frameworks for water and natural resource management
• Resilient and sustainable futures through systems thinking approaches
• Policy transformation pathways from theory to practice

Leonie's research embodies the BGL faculty mission of working with governments and for society through her current work with the Murray-Darling Basin Authority reshaping Australia's largest river system management and her ACIAR Future Farmers project extending resilience frameworks across Southeast Asia.

Engagement and Service Roles

Leonie serves as founding director of the UCR4D Network, creating cross-faculty collaboration to tackle global challenges, and was on the Editorial Board of Ecological Economics (2015-2019). She currently serves as UC representative on the Crawford Fund ACT Board, and DFAT PALMS Advisory Task Force.

Accepting HDR and Honours Students

Leonie is seeking HDR and honours students in research for development focused on future policy pathways for landholders in Lao PDR, Vietnam, and Philippines, ecological economics applications, and environmental governance frameworks.

Teaching Expertise

Leonie has teaching expertise on economic policy analysis, research design, ecological economics, and environmental economics, and has received the Faculty BGL Teaching Award (2023). She convenes Economic Policy Analysis and moderates Research Design units.