Profile

Cara Beal

• Project Leader
• Griffith University

Professor Cara Beal is the Director of the Griffith Institute for Human and Environmental Resilience (GIHER). She also a member of the Australian Rivers Institute and a proud ‘pracademic’ in the School of Environment and Science. As an Environmental Scientist of 30 years+ working predominantly in the water and sustainability sector, Cara Beal applies systems thinking and transdisciplinary approaches to tackle such topics as environmental health, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples environmental health, Pacific Island community water management, circular economy of nutrients, water and water-related energy, behaviour change and community engagement, smart metering and big data. Cara has been at Griffith University since 2009 and the former Director of the Cities Research Institute. She has a comprehensive knowledge of the environmental research landscape both within the University and across a broad cross-section of industry including local, state and federal public and private sectors. Prof Beal is highly experienced in First Peoples’ community water and energy research and strongly committed to elevating Indigenous knowledge and community-focused research engagement. As a non-Indigenous researcher, Cara does not speak on behalf of First Nations people but does aim to undertake two-way, applied, co-created and community-oriented research to improve the security of water and energy in First Nations communities.

Cara has attracted over $7M of external funds as Chief Investigator and ~ 125 publications including 65 journal papers (av. Impact Factor>5), 6 book chapters, peer-reviewed conference papers, industry reports, and industry/social media pieces. With a Scholar h-index of 32, i10 index of 55 and 4000+ citations, Cara is a recognised expert in her fields. She is currently supervising several PhD students in the areas of water and renewable energy management in Indigenous communities, public health, Indigenous data sovereignty, best practice co-design and circular economy. She is also leading projects under the Climate Action Beacon for digital technologies in improving climate impacted water systems.