Rate My Professor Isabelle Barrett

Isabelle Barrett is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Management at Lincoln University, New Zealand, and is affiliated with the Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management, a joint centre with the University of Canterbury. She holds a PhD from the University of Canterbury, an MSc from the University of Birmingham, and a BSc from Imperial College London. As a freshwater ecologist with a background in river environmental management, her research focuses on applied aquatic ecology and restoration, employing a holistic perspective of river systems to address questions in restoration practice and monitoring. Her work emphasises identifying barriers to ecological recovery, developing effective and realistic freshwater restoration and monitoring strategies, and incorporating community engagement and science communication to improve outcomes for rivers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Barrett takes a hands-on approach to research, including in-stream habitat restoration techniques that can be implemented by local communities, and integrates multiple ways of knowing in her projects. She contributes to teaching at the Waterways Centre, coordinating or contributing to courses such as WATR203 Freshwater Science Field Skills, WATR405 Research and Communication Methods, WATR413 River Restoration and Recovery, and WATR691 Water Science and Management Project. Key publications include the 2021 paper “Negative resistance and resilience: biotic mechanisms underpin delayed biological recovery in stream restoration” in Proceedings of the Royal Society B and the 2022 paper “Integrative analysis of stressor gradients reveals multiple discrete trait-defined axes underlie community assembly” in Ecosphere. Her research aims to inform better restoration practice through outreach and practical applications for scientists, landowners, and mana whenua.