Born and schooled in Zimbabwe, B.Sc. University of Natal in South Africa; Ph.D. in ecology, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.  Lecturer, University of Zimbabwe 1969-1975, Professor of Botany and Director of the Centre for Resource Ecology, University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg 1975-1985. Chief, CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology 1985-1999. Half-time CSIRO 2000-2005. Director, the Resilience Alliance, 2000- 2010.

Currently Honorary Research Fellow in CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences,

Honorary Professor, College of Medicine, Biology & Environment,

Visiting Scientist in the Stockholm Resilience Centre, University of Stockholm.

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science,

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry.

Canadian Commonwealth Scholar (1964-1968)

Charles Bullard Research Fellow, Harvard University (1971)

Main research interest - dynamics and resilience of ecosystems and social-ecological systems