Professor Sue Harrison

Professor Sue Harrison is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture, and Information Technology (EAIT) at the University of Queensland., in which she is focused on the delivery of educational programmes and research that are leading edge in terms of technology, socially relevant, focused on addressing global challenges and deliver transformational excellence.
Prior to this, she served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the University of Cape Town, where her portfolio included research, innovation, postgraduate studies, and internationalisation with a strong focus on embedding social responsiveness into research. Sue has a long, varied track record in management and leadership in the academic arena, built up through a 30-year academic career in the field of bioprocess engineering and its application to the circular economy, green technologies for the resource sectors and improved health care and well-being.
Researcher biography
My research portfolio integrates, at a deep level, fundamentals of process engineering and molecular & microbiology across applications including biominerals engineering, bioenvironmental systems, valorisating & repurposing waste, bioproducts and algal biotechnology. Integrating microbial dynamics and structure – function relationships informs building robust & resilience bioprocesses and novel bioproducts. Using IDTD research, I seek sustainable approaches to mineral & water-sensitive systems