Rate My Professor Melodie McGeoch

Professor Melodie McGeoch is Professor in Ecology in the School of Biological Sciences within the Faculty of Science at Monash University. She earned her PhD in community ecology from the University of Pretoria in 1995, after studying Botany and Entomology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her career trajectory includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Sheffield, academic positions at the Universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch in South Africa, and a four-year role as head of the Cape Research Centre for South African National Parks. At Monash University, she also holds the position of Academic Director of Research Performance in the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research). Internationally recognized for advancing biodiversity measurement, monitoring of change, and the application of biodiversity science to policy, McGeoch has authored over 200 publications, amassing more than 28,000 citations. Her research encompasses ecological theory, protected areas, biological invasions, climate change effects on sub-Antarctic systems, spatial ecology, and decision support for conservation, biosecurity, and sustainable information systems. She serves as Chief Investigator and Theme 2 Lead (Biodiversity Status and Trends) in the Australian Research Council Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future Special Research Initiative.

McGeoch's contributions have earned her the Australian Ecology Research Award from the Ecological Society of Australia (2014), the Faculty of Science Award for Research Impact (2016), and Fellowship of the African Academy of Science (2022). She co-chairs the Species Populations Working Group of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON) alongside Professor Walter Jetz, and is a member of the IUCN Invasive Species Specialist Group and GEO BON. Her editorial experience includes Associate Editor roles for Global Ecology and Biogeography (2017-present), Proceedings of the Royal Society B (2014-2018), and Journal of Biogeography (2005-2015). Notable publications include 'A nature-positive future with biological invasions: theory, decision support and research needs' (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2024), 'Antarctic Biosecurity Policy Effectively Manages the Rates of Alien Introductions' (Earth's Future, 2025), 'How to Identify Priority Sites for Invasive Alien Species Policy and Management' (Diversity and Distributions, 2025), and the co-authored book 'Insect Conservation: A Handbook of Approaches and Methods' (Oxford University Press, 2010).