Dr Courtney Morgans

Dr Courtney Morgans is a conservation ecologist specialising in the evaluation of conservation policies and programmes.

Dr Morgans completed her PhD with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions at the University of Queensland in 2018. Using conservation of Bornean orangutans as a case study, her research investigated how multiple stakeholders influence conservation decisions, how certification programs impact environmental, social, and economic outcomes, and where funding should be allocated to maximise returns on conservation investment. 

Courtney is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate contributing to the Leverhulme Trust Tropical Defaunation Hub led by Dr Matthew Struebig. The project aims to understand the social and environmental factors associated with wildlife population change in Indonesia. Dr Morgans' work specifically focuses on understanding how socio-economic factors correlate with patterns of biodiversity loss and how conservation efforts, such as the establishment of protected areas, affect human social and economic wellbeing. 

Dr Courtney Morgans is a member of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology.

Dr Morgans is interested in the synergies and trade-offs between environmental conservation and socio-economic development. With the overall aim of improving the effectiveness of conservation efforts, Courtney takes an interdisciplinary approach to understand how conservation programmes can be strategically implemented and adaptively managed to address the needs of wildlife and people. 

To achieve this, Courtney uses a range of methodologies including social network analysis, cost-benefit analysis and impact evaluation. 

Dr Morgans is passionate about translating her science into policy and management. She has worked as an advisor for groups including the Jane Goodall Institute, the Australasian Responsible Palm Oil Network and Borneo Futures.