Rate My Professor Rosanne Quinnell

Rosanne Quinnell is an Associate Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. She holds a PhD from the Australian National University in 1994, a BSc from the same institution in 1988, and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education) from the University of Sydney. Quinnell has taught botany for close to 25 years, with prior experience at UNSW Sydney's Faculty of Science from November 2006 to December 2008. Her career encompasses plant science research and extensive contributions to science education. She currently leads the Rosanne Quinnell's Research and Scholarship Team and serves as Deputy Director for Education at the Sydney Environment Institute since February 2022.

Quinnell's research specializations and academic interests include plant physiology, botanical literacy, citizen science in higher education, cultural competence in science curricula, and transdisciplinary approaches to plant science education. Key publications feature 'Photosynthesis of an epiphytic resurrection fern Davallia angustata (Wall. ex Hook. & Grev.)' in the Australian Journal of Botany (2017), 'Electrogenic plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity using voltage-sensitive dyes' in the Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes (2010), 'Telling tales out of school: considerations of 'insider' research in higher education' in Teaching in Higher Education (2024), 'Citizen Science in Australian Higher Education: Emerging Learning and Research Communities' (2023), and 'Shifting from STEM to STEAM: Reflecting on Academic Identity and Emotional Recognition' (2018). She has spearheaded influential projects such as the CampusFlora mobile app for improving botanical literacy, eBot image bank of Australian flora, and digitization of the Haswell Zoology Museum collection. Quinnell received the University of Sydney award for outstanding contributions to student learning in 2017 and was shortlisted with her team for the QS Sustainability Education Award in 2024. Her initiatives have enhanced student engagement in biology and promoted innovative teaching practices across environmental sciences.