‘Remarkable’ Melbourne vice-chancellor Emma Johnston dies aged 52

The University of Melbourne’s vice-chancellor and renowned science communicator Emma Johnston has died aged 52, after an 11-month tenure as head of the institution. 

The marine biologist passed away “due to complications associated with cancer”, the university said in a statement on 29 December. 

Johnston, who took up the leadership post in February 2025, was the university’s first female vice-chancellor. 

She spent the bulk of her academic career at UNSW Sydney, where she rose from associate lecturer to dean of science and pro vice-chancellor for research, before becoming deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney in 2022.

Beyond her research, where she specialised in the ecological impact of human activities in marine ecosystems, Johnston was known for her communication skills and her attempts to drive reform in Australia’s higher education sector. 

Johnston was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 2018 in recognition of her work as a national advocate for science and research. 

University of Melbourne chancellor Jane Hansen said Johnston made a “significant and meaningful contribution during her all too brief time” as vice-chancellor. 

“Her extensive experience as a leader in education and research, her understanding of the increasingly complex university environment and her care for our entire community leaves an imprint that belies her short tenure.

“Significantly, Professor Johnston brought a tone of optimism and energy to our university, with her insight, experience and most of all her belief in all who are part of this community.”

Johnston returned to Melbourne having studied there as an undergraduate and having previously served as the university’s student union president. 

Hansen praised Johnston’s “unwavering commitment” to students. “Be it cost-of-living pressures, to scholarships, to teaching, to their research – she did everything she could to ensure our students were best equipped to achieve their goals. Most of all, she just liked spending time with them to hear their stories. They were her inspiration.”

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott said Johnston was “destined to be a vice-chancellor of a major university”, noting the institution-wide reforms she delivered while at Sydney. 

“This news will be a terrible shock to so many,” he continued. “All who knew Emma will testify to her remarkable intellectual energy: a pioneering marine ecologist, a brilliant science communicator and an inspiring, transformational leader. 

“And someone we would have all wanted to make further vibrant contributions to Australian life in the decades ahead.”

Australian education minister Jason Clare described her as one of “Australia’s biggest brains” and said he was “shocked and sad” to hear of her passing. 

Universities Australia chair Carolyn Evans described Johnston as an “extraordinary scientist and research leader whose work shaped our understanding of the marine environment and whose voice brought science to life”. 

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com