Rate My Professor Kirsten Parris

Professor Kirsten Parris is Professor of Urban Ecology in the School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Melbourne, where she serves as Director of the Office for Environmental Programs and leads the Urban Ecology and Conservation Research Group. She previously led the National Environmental Science Program's Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub from 2015 to 2021. Parris obtained her BSc (Hons) and BA from the University of Melbourne in 1993 and 1994, respectively, and her PhD from the Australian National University in 2000. Prior to joining the University of Melbourne in 2007, she worked as a lecturer and researcher in Australia and the United States. Her career includes significant contributions to ecological research through leadership in major funded projects and public engagement initiatives.

Parris's research interests encompass urban ecology, amphibian and avian ecology in urban environments, the effects of sensory pollutants like traffic noise and artificial light on animal communication and behaviour, conservation biology, and urban biodiversity management. She authored the textbook Ecology of Urban Environments (Wiley-Blackwell, 2016; Chinese edition, Wuhan University Press, 2021) and edited Cities for People and Nature (Clean Air and Urban Landscapes Hub, 2020). Notable publications include 'Frogs call at a higher pitch in traffic noise' (Ecology and Society, 2009), 'Impacts of traffic noise and traffic volume on birds of roadside habitats' (Ecology and Society, 2009), and 'Urban amphibian assemblages as metacommunities' (Journal of Animal Ecology, 2006), among over 100 peer-reviewed articles. Her work has garnered more than 8,500 citations. Parris has received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Research from the Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne (2018), the British Ecological Society Science Slam (winner, 2016), and the Herpetologists' League Award for Graduate Research (2000). She has secured substantial grants from the Australian Research Council, including multiple Linkage Grants totalling over $1 million for amphibian conservation and urban ecology studies.