Rate My Professor Emma Austin

Dr. Emma Austin is a researcher and postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Water, Climate and Land, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Newcastle, where her dissertation examined the environmental, social, health, and economic effects of drought on rural communities in New South Wales, under the supervision of Associate Professor Anthony Kiem. Austin also holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours) from the University of Newcastle in 2011 and utilises her science and law degrees in her interdisciplinary work bridging hydroclimatology, public health, and social sciences. Her career includes affiliations with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health and contributions to projects like the Employability and Wellbeing Toolkit, developed in collaboration with Southern Queensland University to enhance psychological and financial preparedness in drought-prone areas.

Austin's research specializations centre on the interplay between drought, climate change, mental health, wellbeing, and adaptive capacity in rural Australia. She has investigated sociodemographic factors heightening drought-related psychological stress among farmers, identifying heightened vulnerability among those under 35 years old, living and working remotely on farms, and facing financial hardship. Her studies reveal persistent mental health impacts even post-drought and underscore the need to address stigma and barriers to professional help in rural settings. Key publications include 'Drought-related stress among farmers: findings from the Australian Rural Mental Health Study' (Medical Journal of Australia, 2018, with Kiem, Kelly, Rich, Perkins, Handley); 'Drought, Wellbeing and Adaptive Capacity: Why Do Some People Thrive While Others Struggle?' (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020); 'Concerns about climate change among rural residents in Australia' (Journal of Rural Studies, 2020); and 'How Effectively Do Drought Indices Capture Health Outcomes? An Australian Case Study' (Weather, Climate, and Society, 2021). Austin has received the Australia Day Honour from the National Council of Women of NSW in 2018 for outstanding research in Rural Health and the Royal Society of NSW Early Career Researcher's Prize in 2020 for drought and rural wellbeing studies. Her work informs policy adaptation strategies and resilience-building for rural communities facing intensifying climate variability.