Rate My Professor Michelle Hobbs

Michelle Hobbs serves as a Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability and Management within the School of Environment and Science at Griffith University, where she is also a PhD candidate affiliated with the Australian Rivers Institute. A Bidjara descendant, Hobbs specializes in the ecology of Australian freshwater mussels, one of the most imperiled groups of animals worldwide. Her research documents remaining mussel populations, assesses habitat and flow requirements, and explores captive breeding trials for conservation. Central to her work is integrating Indigenous knowledge, cultural values, and perspectives into freshwater ecosystem management and policy, addressing gaps where traditional risk assessments overlook biota uses and landscapes significant to First Nations peoples. Supervised by Professors Fran Sheldon, Sue Jackson, and Mark Kennard, her PhD examines how Indigenous understandings can enhance mussel preservation and broader river health.

Hobbs' contributions have earned significant recognition, including the 2023 Australian Academy of Science Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award for outstanding early- and mid-career research in biological sciences. This honor facilitated international exchanges, such as collaborations with First Nations researchers in Canada on mussel management. She co-authored the 2020 publication 'Habitat and flow requirements of freshwater mussels in the northern Murray-Darling Basin' and contributes to initiatives like Seqwater's Reconciliation Action Plan through research best practices for partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Hobbs convenes the course 'Introduction to Environmental Sustainability' (1043SCG), represents early-career academics on the Griffith University Elders and First People Knowledge Holders Advisory Board, and received the Best Presentation Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge award at the Australia-NZ Freshwater Sciences Society conference. Her efforts promote diverse voices in climate-resilient water systems and public engagement through presentations like her 3-Minute Thesis entry 'Are the clams happy? Why rivers need shellfish.'