Rate My Professor Cassandra Collins

Associate Professor Cassandra Collins serves in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine at the University of Adelaide, where she holds the position of Associate Professor in Viticulture. She earned her Bachelor of Oenology and Viticulture (Honours) in 1998, PhD in Horticulture in 2003, and Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2010, all from the University of Adelaide. Collins began her professional journey in the wine industry, working as a cellarhand, assistant winemaker, and viticulturist. Following her doctoral studies, she transitioned into research as a research fellow with the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the University of Adelaide. In her current role, she lectures and is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students, having guided numerous postgraduate researchers on projects related to canopy management, vineyard sustainability, and grapevine reproductive performance.

Collins' research specializations include grapevine reproduction, organic and biodynamic vineyard management, and innovative technologies for evaluating vine performance, extending to horticulture, oenology, viticulture, wine chemistry, and sensory science. Her impactful publications encompass 'Vineyard floor management intensity impacts soil health indicators and plant diversity across South Australian viticultural landscapes' (Kesser et al., 2023), 'Long-term under-vine coverage by spontaneous vegetation changed plant community and soil dynamics without impacting yield at two South Australian vineyards' (Kesser et al., 2023), 'Organic and biodynamic viticulture affect biodiversity and properties of vine and wine: a systematic quantitative review' (Döring et al., 2019, 61 Scopus citations), 'Viticanopy: A free computer app to estimate canopy vigor and porosity for grapevine' (De Bei et al., 2016, 108 Scopus citations), and 'Understanding consumer preferences for Shiraz wine and Cheddar cheese pairings' (Bastian et al., 2010, 80 Scopus citations). With 131 research outputs and 1864 citations documented on ResearchGate, her work has advanced sustainable practices in viticulture. Collins also contributes editorially as Associate Editor of OENO One since 2018 and a board member of the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture since 2005, alongside her membership in Vine Health Australia since 2010.