University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) research assistant Olivia Herrmann has been announced as Australia’s nominee for the United Nations’ esteemed Young Scientist Award under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program.
The international award supports early-career researchers working in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, offering funding to advance studies focused on ecosystems, biodiversity, and sustainable resource management.
Herrmann’s proposed project will explore how to better communicate the purpose and value of the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Reserve in simple, accessible ways—ensuring the wider community can connect with and benefit from the region’s sustainability goals.
“If my nomination is successful, the study will highlight opportunities for people to live, work, explore, and learn in a biosphere, helping our community better understand and embrace what that means,” Herrmann said. “Ideally, the framework could be adapted for other biospheres across Australia and internationally.”
The Sunshine Coast Biosphere, designated by UNESCO in 2022, is one of three interconnected biosphere reserves in which UniSC operates—making it the only university in the world with such a distinction. Herrmann’s research supports UniSC’s mission to lead in sustainability, community engagement, and place-based research.
UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, praised Herrmann’s endorsement as a national nominee. “Being recognised at this level is a tremendous achievement,” she said. “Olivia’s work reflects UniSC’s commitment to sustainability, teaching, and research that empowers our communities and aligns with the global values of UNESCO’s biosphere network.”
Anna Owen, Chair of the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Advisory Group and Principal of Sunshine Coast Grammar School, said Herrmann’s research would help make the biosphere concept more tangible and actionable for the community.
“Our biosphere is more than just a region—it’s a living classroom,” Owen said. “Through education and research, we give the next generation the knowledge and tools to lead sustainable change. Olivia’s project will help make the biosphere’s benefits more visible, relatable, and impactful.”
Herrmann is a research assistant with UniSC’s Bioclimatic and Sociotechnical Cities (BASC) Lab and the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems. She also works as a research coordinator at Sunshine Coast-based placemaking firm POMO. Her nomination builds on previous work with Associate Professor Nick Stevens and the Sunshine Coast Council, which mapped out the key stakeholders and systems supporting the biosphere at the government level.
Her proposed next step? Bringing that systems thinking to a more local, community-focused level—incorporating First Nations perspectives and the region’s distinct geographies, from the coastal suburbs to the hinterland.
Herrmann’s passion for sustainable urban development was sparked during her undergraduate studies in Urban Design and Town Planning, through internships with UniSC’s sustainability research labs.
Her nomination not only shines a spotlight on the Sunshine Coast’s growing role in global sustainability research but also represents a new wave of youth leadership driving ecological and community transformation.
