Former Stirling IoA chief bags top post in Australia
A former head of Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) has been appointed as chief executive of Australia’s tropical marine research agency.
Professor Selina Stead joins the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) from the University of Leeds where she is currently the executive dean of the Faculty of Environment. She is also the UK Government’s chief scientific advisor for the Marine Management Organisation.
AIMS Council Chair, Dr Beth Woods, welcomed Stead to the position for a term of five years.
A proven leader
“Selina joins the AIMS community at a time when tropical marine ecosystems in Australia and the world are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” said Woods in an article on the AIMS website.
“With her depth of experience in research and management she is a proven leader and high achiever in marine science with expertise in coral reef ecosystems, aquaculture and fisheries, and through her new appointment at AIMS, will deliver important science for the nation.”
Stead became head of the IoA at Stirling in early 2019 after former chief Professor Herve Migaud – now with Mowi Scotland - stepped down to concentrate on research.
She gave up the job in November 2021 to return to her Yorkshire roots after the Covid-19 pandemic prevented her family from joining her in Scotland.
Townsville
Stead will be based at the AIMS headquarters in Townsville, a city of around 180,000 people on the north-eastern coast of Queensland,
“Around 30 years ago a visiting scientist from Townsville inspired me as an undergraduate to make a difference to ocean health,” Stead said.
“I am thrilled to join the AIMS community at this pivotal moment and thank the AIMS Council for this exceptional opportunity. We are at a turning point in ocean health and I will give all my energy to this role.”
Distinguished service
As president of the European Aquaculture Society for 12 years, Stead was recognised with the EAS’s highest honour, the Distinguished Services Award, for research on solutions for climate-smart seafood and conservation.
She also has a strong background in environmental governance and science policy. She is a member of the Research Program Advisory Committee (RPAC) for Australia’s Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre and has served on the Scottish Government’s Science Advisory Board as chair and non-executive director. Previously she acted as a UK ministerial appointed scientific fisheries advisor.
Stead will take up her appointment in Townsville next month.
