Senior Vice-Provost and Vice-Provost (Research), Monash University

Professor Rebekah Brown is the Senior Vice-Provost and Vice-Provost (Research) at Monash University; a Group of Eight University ranked globally in the top one percent. Monash University has a fundamental commitment to undertake research that is excellent, has impact and serves the good of our communities and the environment. Prior to her appointment in this executive leadership role, Rebekah was the Director of the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, a leading interdisciplinary research and education centre working collaboratively with government, industry and philanthropists and to advance the knowledge, policy and practice of sustainable development.

Since early 2000 Rebekah has pioneered interdisciplinary research across the social and biophysical sciences in sustainable water management. She co-founded the water sensitive cities research platform at Monash University as a sustainable development solution to urban water challenges globally. Rebekah was instrumental in the establishment of the $120M (AUD) Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities comprising 86 partner organisations and over 170 researchers, and was its Chief Research Officer and inaugural Society themed Program Leader.

As a social scientist Rebekah has published over 100 papers in leading journals including Nature, Science, Global Environmental Change and Water Research. Rebekah is a consulting Editor to Global Challenges, and on a number of international Editorial Boards including Urban Water Journal and Environmental Innovations and Societal Transitions. She has consulted widely across government and industry and presents regularly on interdisciplinary research approaches at conferences around the world.

Rebekah's research aims to guide and accelerate the realisation of more liveable, resilient and sustainable cities. Rebekah’s research is focused on understanding the social and institutional transformations required to enable such a transition, in both developed and developing country contexts. Rebekah adopts an interdisciplinary research approach, combining insights from disciplines such as sociology, institutional theory, science and technology studies, innovation studies and complexity theory.

Rebekah's work is used extensively within the water and land development industry across Australia, and by international organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, UN Habitat and the European Union.

In 2016 an international research consortium led by Rebekah was awarded AUD $17M funding from the UK-based Wellcome Trust for a five year project in partnership with the Asian Development Bank to implement a water sensitive revitalisation of informal settlements across the Asia-Pacific (RISE). The project brings together expertise across public health, ecology, economics, urban design, engineering and social science disciplines as well as partnerships with organisations including Stanford University, the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, World Health Organisation, Oxfam and WaterAid.

Rebekah holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours) from Monash University and a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of New South Wales.