Professor Emma Johnston AO honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
The late Professor Emma Johnston AO has been posthumously awarded the Australian Financial Review’s (AFR) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contribution to science, research and higher education.
Presented at the AFR Higher Education Summit Awards in Sydney on Tuesday 18 August, University of Melbourne Deputy Chancellor Dr Helen Szoke AO acknowledged the honour on behalf of Chancellor Jane Hansen AO and the University.
“We are deeply honoured to see Professor Emma Johnston recognised with this Lifetime Achievement Award,” Dr Szoke said. “It reflects the extraordinary impact of her lifelong commitment to higher education and research.”
“Emma was not only a distinguished scientist, but a powerful public advocate for science, for evidence-informed policy, and for increasing the participation of women in STEM and research.
Professor Johnston on the day she was announced as University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor. Picture: Peter Casamento
“She believed research was something to be shared — built on teamwork, generosity and genuine community. Throughout her career, she supported countless students and colleagues and was passionate about helping bright, curious people find their path.
“Emma was ambitious not only for the University of Melbourne, but for the higher education sector as a whole. She pursued that ambition with integrity, rigour and generosity, and held a resolute belief in the core mission of universities: to serve society.”
Professor Johnston returned to the University of Melbourne in February 2025 as its 21st - and first female - Vice-Chancellor, bringing together her distinguished career as an internationally respected coastal marine ecologist with a deep commitment to higher education and research.
Her scientific work examined the ecological impacts of human activity on marine systems, with research spanning environments including Sydney Harbour, Antarctica, the Great Barrier Reef and estuaries across Australia.
She also held senior leadership and governance roles, including at the University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, as a Director of CSIRO and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, in addition to being a Governor of the Ian Potter Foundation.
Dr Szoke speaks at the awards ceremony. Picture: AFR
During her time as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Johnston led the development of the University’s Strategy 2030, which sets an ambitious direction centred on exceptional education, transformational research and institutional resilience.
She passed away due to complications associated with cancer in December last year.
Dr Szoke said Professor Johnston’s legacy would continue to shape the University and the broader higher education sector.
“We continue to hold Emma in our hearts, with deep gratitude for all she gave to our University and to the world. Her legacy lives on in the people she inspired, the ideas she championed and the difference she made.”
The University of Melbourne extends its congratulations to Professor Johnston’s family on this important recognition of her remarkable life and legacy.