Ms Kate Cranney


Contact details:

https://people.csiro.au/c/k/kate-cranney

Biography

I am a science communicator, scientist and artist.

As a Communications Advisor with the Land and Water, and Energy areas of CSIRO. I deliver communications campaigns, liaise with the media, work with scientists to create communications materials, and develop content on the teams' research.

I hold a Master of Science (with Distinction) from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Law (Hons)/ Environmental Science from Griffith University. I have a background in botany, law, digital story-telling, community natural resource management, quantitative ecology, private conservation and fine art. See www.katecranney.com

Other Interests

Drawing, running, reading and bushwalking. I grew up on a sheep and cattle property in western Queensland, and am drawn to working in remote, beautiful parts of Australia.

Academic Qualifications

  • 2016

    Master of Science (with Distinction) (Majoring in botany and science communication)
    University of Melbourne, Victoria

  • 2010

    Bachelor of Law (Honours)/ Bachelor of Science (Environment)
    Griffith University, Queensland.

Achievements and Awards

  • 2018-2018

    International Fellowship on Science Communication
    International Specialised Skills Institute and the George Alexander Foundation

  • 2016-2016

    OEH/ ESA Prize for Outstanding Outreach in Science
    NSW Office of Environment and Heritage/ Ecological Society of Australia

Current Roles

  • Communications Advisor (Land and Water, Energy)
    I deliver communications campaigns, liaise with the media, work with scientists to create communications materials, and develop content on CSIRO's research in two business units: Energy, and Land and Water.

Grants

  • 2014-2015

    Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (for my Masters project at Boolcoomatta Reserve)

  • 2018-2018

    International Fellowship on Science Communication (through ISSI and GAF, see above)

Other highlights

  • 2016-2018

    Working with the women rangers from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. Visiting PNG and Arnavon Community Marine Park (the first national park in the Solomon Islands), before helping to bring 50+ of these leaders together for a week of training in Brisbane, for 'Nature's Leading Women'.

  • 2015-2016

    Field research and reporting in the Simpson Desert in far west Queensland. I was the 'reporter in the field' for Bush Heritage, interviewing, filming and writing stories about the research done by the University of Sydney. It was hot, sandy, fun, dawn-to-dusk science.

  • 2009-2009

    Climbing tall trees for science. I worked for a month in the rainforests of Queensland and Borneo, collecting and sorting samples of insects for the Smithsonian Institute's global insect biodiversity study, ‘IBISCA’.

Professional Experiences

  • 2016-2018

    Communications Coordinator, Melanesia Program
    The Nature Conservancy

  • 2015-2016

    Science Communicator
    Bush Heritage Australia

  • 2015-2017

    Research Assistant (Entomology, field ecology)
    RMIT University

  • 2012-2013

    Policy Officer with the Torres Strait Islander Rangers
    Torres Strait Regional Authority

  • 2007-2012

    Policy Officer with the Water Allocation and Planning group
    Department of Natural Resources and Mines (Queensland)

Professional Areas

Attachments