Dr Adrienne Burns

Senior Lecturer in Biological and Environmental Science - School of Environmental and Rural Science

Adrienne Burns

Phone: +61 02 6773 3957

Email: aburns@une.edu.au

Biography

My ecological research is focussed understanding the fundamental biogeochemical processes such as nutrient and organic matter cycling, and ecosystem metabolism that support aquatic food webs. I have a specific interest in the ecology of algal and microbial biofilms in wetland and river systems. Biofilms are simply bacteria, fungi, algae, unicellular animals and detritus growing on submerged wood, leaves, stones and sediments. Where there is lots of light, biofilms will be dominated by algae, but in turbid rivers, light availability is reduced biofilms may be dominated by bacteria and fungi. Biofilms can be sampled easily and rapidly, occur on all submerged surfaces, and have short life cycles allowing a rapid response to changing conditions.

My current research in education focus is on aligning assessment practices with broad outcomes in tertiary science courses, and innovations in first year university science teaching.

I co-supervise a number of post graduate and honours projects in aspects of aquatic ecology.

Adrienne is an aquatic ecologist with specialities in both riverine basal foodwebs and tertiary science education research, and is a nationally recognised educational leader in biological sciences. Her recent success is driven through scholarship-driven initiatives in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths), as an educational innovator in transition pathways to university particularly in online learning, and, the development of learning communities of practice to enable both students and colleagues to succeed in their educational activities.

She secured 2019 HEPPP funding as the principal investigator for a project that led to a Learn-X Award: Learning & Development Platinum prize (2020), as Best Social Program in the ‘Boosting Science Program’, which assisted students with limited science background to transition to a range of science and applied science courses at UNE. Her contribution to online advances in blended learning has received national recognition through a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning as part of the Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Adrienne’s mission as a university educator and researcher in scholarship of teaching and learning and ecology, is to enable future graduates to make meaningful contributions to global challenges by ensuring quality student learning outcomes. Through a diversity of teaching roles, including unit delivery, designing transitional programs, and course-level curriculum development, she fosters an ethos of quality student learning outcomes through sharing teaching and learning experiences with colleagues, to build contemporary networks for learning excellence.

Adrienne is the Coordinator for the undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Environmental Science and Management, and led the redesign of these programs with new industry directed majors and units available in 2022, and 2023. Major successes in the recent course renewal includes effectively advocating for the inclusion of UNE’s first Indigenous science unit, as core to the program of undergraduate study. Adrienne was appointed Leader of Learning in the Faculty (Science Agriculture Business & Law, Science Learning Hub in June 2022), establishing both on-campus and online modes of tutoring to improve student retention and engagement across UNE’s STEM programs.

Adrienne holds a PhD, Bachelors, and a first class Honours degree in science (Zoology & Botany) from the University of Adelaide, and a Masters of Education (Honours 1) from UNE. In her research field of aquatic ecology, she is an experienced research student supervisor with Honours and PhD completions dating back to 2009 in aquatic foodwebs, riverine, biogeochemistry and conservation. She looks to create a postgraduate group for scholarship of STEM teaching and learning; developing best practice for university transition through blended learning, and providing supportive pathways for students from diverse backgrounds into STEM and STEM related fields.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Science (Zoology), the University of Adelaide, Department of Zoology.
  • Masters of Education (Hons Class 1), University of New England.
  • Bachelor of Science with Honours (First class) Department of Botany at the University of Adelaide.

Teaching Areas

My current Role is Practical Coordinator for BIOL110 and BIOL120

I have been unit coordinator and involved in lecturing in several environmental science and ecology units

  • BIOL120: Ecology module
  • ECOL 202: Aquatic Ecology
  • ECOL 203: Populations to Ecosystems
  • EVOL211/411:  Evolution and Biogeography
  • RSNR 302/402/502 - Integrated Water Resources Management

Research Interests

  • aquatic ecology
  • function of biofilms in riverine systems
  • river catchment health and environmental chemistry
  • tertiary science education

Major Long-term Research Projects

  • Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in coastal rivers of northern NSW - 2009-17. North Coast Local Land Services, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, DPI Fisheries and LGAs.

Aquatic Ecology and Restoration Research Group

Current Projects

  • Ryder, Mika, Burns & Vincent - Worley Parsons - (2016/17). ($208, 000). Bylong Valley Rehabilitation Review.

Past Grants (2012-)

  • Ryder, Mika, & Burns, (2016) - Port Macquarie Hastings Council (2016) ($18,000) Proposed Sewage Treatment Plants for the Hastings River Catchment: Water Quality Assessment Technical Report.
  • Ryder & Burns - Port Macquarie Hastings Council (2014-16). ($150,000) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Hastings and Camden Haven catchment.
  • Mika, Burns, & Ryder. - Bellinger Shire Council (2016). ($14,414). Water quality monitoring of the Bellinger and Kalang Rivers.
  • Ryder & Burns - OEH, Northern Rivers Local Land Services, Richmond  County Council (2014-15). ($157,000) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Richmond Valley.
  • Ryder & Burns - Port Macquarie Hastings Council (2014-16). ($150,000) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Hastings and Camden Haven catchment.
  • Ryder & Burns - OEH, Northern Rivers Local Land Services, Richmond  County Council (2014-15). ($157,000) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Richmond Valley.
  • Ryder, Mika, & Burns – NRCMA, DSEWPaC. (2013, $70,000).  Validation and sensitivity/ risk assessment of the DSEWPaC water asset condition data in the NSW Northern Rivers region.
  • Ryder & Burns – Clarence Valley Council (2013). ($36,000) Assessment of low flows on the ecological condition of the Nymboida River. Clarence Valley Council.
  • Ryder & Burns - OEH, NRCMA, Clarence Valley Council (2012-14). ($205,000) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Clarence Valley.

Research Supervision Experience

Completed

2012 (Honours graduate) Rebekah Abood – Trophic dynamics in the Hastings River.
2011. (Honours candidate) Jake Chandler – The impact of severe bushfires on stream foodwebs in the ACT.
2010. (Honours candidate) Sally Hatton - Impact of nutrient enrichment on the ecology of Urunga Lagoon.
2009. (PhD graduate) Emilie Mascarenhas – Using biofilms to develop a biological monitoring program to detect the impacts of water extraction in coastal rivers. Co-supervisor.

2014  (PhD graduate) Karlie MacDonald)– Modelling water quality in coastal rivers. Co-supervisor.

Publications

Peer-reviewed papers

  • Robertson, A. Burns, A, Hillman, T. (2016) Scale dependent lateral exchanges of organic carbon in a dryland river during a high flow experiment. Marine and Freshwater Research.
  • Burns, A., Ryder, D.S. & Pegg, J (submitted) Qualitative assessment of learning outcomes for multi-faceted scientific reports: alignment of SOLO and rubric assessment frameworks. International Journal of Science Education
  • Ryder, D.S., Vink, S., Bleakley, N. & Burns, A (2007) Managing sources, sinks and transport of natural contaminants in regulated rivers: A case study in the Murrumbidgee River catchment, NSW. In (Eds Wilson et al) Australian Rivers: Making a Difference 5th Australian Stream Management Conference, pp 354-359.
  • Ryder D S, Watts R J, Nye E & Burns A (2006) Can flow velocity regulate biofilm structure in a regulated lowland river? Marine and Freshwater Research. 57(1) 29-35. (IF 1.595, 29 citations)
  • Burns A & Ryder D S (2001). Response of extracellular enzymes to artificial inundation of floodplain sediments from a regulated lowland river. Freshwater Biology 46 (43), 1299-1307. (IF 3.29, 42 citations)
  • Burns A & Ryder D S (2001). The emergence of biofilms as a monitoring tool in Australian riverine systems. Ecological Restoration and Management, 2 (1), 53-63. (IF 0.89, 78 citations)
  • Burns A. & Walker K.F. (2000) Biofilms as Food for Decapods (Atyidae, Palaemonidae) in the River Murray, South Australia. Hydrobiologia. 437, 83-90. (IF 1.964, 55 citations)
  • Burns A. & Walker K.F. (2000) Effects of water-level regulation on algal biofilms in the River Murray, South Australia. Regulated Rivers: Research and Management.16, 433-444. (IF 2.028, 42 citations).

Research Reports

  • Mika, S., Burns, A., Ryder, D. (2016) Water quality monitoring of the Bellinger and Kalang Rivers. Bellinger Shire Council.
  • Ryder, D, Mika, S, Burns, A. (2016) Proposed Sewage Treatment Plants for the Hastings River Catchment: Water Quality Assessment Technical Report to the Port Macquarie Hastings Council
  • Ryder, D. Mika, S, & Burns, A. (2016) Ecohealth: assessment of river and estuarine condition in the Hastings and Camden Haven catchment.
  • Ryder, D. Mika, S, Vincent, B, & Burns, A. Schmidt, J. (2016) Ecohealth: A catchment health monitoring program for the Macleay catchment.
  • Ryder, D., Richardson, M., Mika, S., McDonald, K., Burns, A. and Lisle, P. (2014). Biological Monitoring of the Nymboida River: Report of Findings from October 2013 and January 2014 Low Flow Events. University of New England 58pp.
  • Ryder, D., Richardson, M., Mika, S., Burns, A. and Lisle, P. (2013).  Validation and sensitivity/ risk assessment of the DSEWPaC water asset condition data in the NSW Northern Rivers region.
  • Ryder, D., Richardson, M., Mika, S., McDonald, K., Burns, A. and Lisle, P. (2014). Biological Monitoring of the Nymboida River: Report of Findings from October 2013 and January 2014 Low Flow Events. University of New England 58pp.
  • Ryder, D., Richardson, M., Mika, S., Burns, A. and Lisle, P. (2013).  Validation and sensitivity/ risk assessment of the DSEWPaC water asset condition data in the NSW Northern Rivers region.
  • Ryder, D., Mika, S., Burns, A., Richardson, M., Veal, R., Lisle, P., Schmidt, J. & Osborne, M. (2012). Clarence Valley Ecohealth Project: Assessment of River and Estuarine Condition 2013. Final Technical Report to the CVC. University of New England, Armidale, 207pp.
  • Ryder, D., Burns, A., Veal, R., Schmidt, J., Stewart, M. & Osborne, M. (2012). Hastings Camden Haven Ecohealth Project: Assessment of River and Estuarine Condition 2011. Final Technical Report to the PMHC. University of New England, Armidale, 311pp.
  • Ryder, D., Burns, A., Veal, R., Schmidt, J., Robertson, M., Stewart, M. & Osborne, M (2012). Coffs Harbour Region Ecohealth Project: Assessment of River and Estuarine Condition 2011. Final Technical Report to the Coffs Harbour City Council. University of New England, Armidale, 161pp.