Rate My Professor Anna Probert

Dr. Anna Frances Probert is a Lecturer in Entomology and Pest Management in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England. She holds a BSc (Hons) and a PhD from the University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau. Her career includes prior association with the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Probert is actively involved in teaching within the Zoology discipline, serving as unit coordinator for ZOOL320 Entomology, ZOOL210 Invertebrate Ecology, and ZOOL310 Methods in Invertebrate Ecology. She also contributes as a lecturer in AGRO311 Plant Protection and GRNS301/501 Grain Crop Protection, supporting education in zoology and agronomy.

Her research specializations are invasion science, ant ecology, and global change biology, with a focus on the impacts of non-native species on biodiversity and human well-being and livelihoods from conceptual and applied perspectives. Much of her work involves Hymenoptera, extending to other taxonomic groups for broader ecological questions. Probert's scholarly output is significant, with over 800 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications include "Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science" (Biological Reviews, 2024), "The importance of assessing positive and beneficial impacts of alien species" (NeoBiota, 2020), "The EICAT+ framework enables classification of positive impacts of alien taxa on native biodiversity" (PLoS Biology, 2022), "Consensus and controversy in the discipline of invasion science" (Conservation Biology, 2022), "Benefits do not balance costs of biological invasions" (BioScience, 2024), and "Understanding uncertainty in the Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (ICAT) assessments" (NeoBiota, 2020). She received an SABL award and grant in 2023, serves on the Animal Ethics Committee, participated in a teaching exchange to China in November 2024, and featured on TuneFM for International Day of Women and Girls in Science.