Lucy Darragh is a PhD candidate working with the Australian Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, the ANU Research School of Biology and the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Future Crops Development. 

With a career in agriculture spanning over 15 years, Lucy has worked in diverse roles with government, industry and the private sector where she has been consistently engaged at the intersection of science, policy, agriculture and the environment. Most recently, Lucy has been involved in operations and stakeholder management, policy research and advocacy roles where she has managed diverse portfolios and provided technical advice on behalf of organisations including, The Australian Farm Institute, GrainGrowers, CropLife Australia and Kalyx. Lucy has produced a number of journal articles, industry publications and grower resources, and continues to be involved in capacity and capability building initiatives in the Australian agriculture sector. 

Prior to working in the policy space, during her early career, Lucy worked as a research agronomist for several years until new opportunities lead her to work with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Grains Research and Development Corporation on the National Grains Industry Research Project, where she engaged Australian growers and collected lifecycle assessment inventory data. In 2020, Lucy completed a Master of Environmental Science and Management, focused on Australian-first research in durum physiology and genetics. 

From paddock to policy, Lucy is as comfortable behind the wheel of a tractor as she is at the desk. Embarking on a PhD is part of Lucy’s career trajectory aimed at contributing to understanding, engagement and collaboration at the science-policy-agriculture-environment interface and ensuring that complex information is clearly articulated and accessible to a wide range of audiences.