Meet Dr Francesca Perugia 鈥� housing researcher on a mission to turn data into action, ensuring communities and policymakers are ready for the challenges of a changing world. Whether she鈥檚 diving into disaster-responsive housing or into the ocean as a marathon swimmer, she鈥檚 all about pushing boundaries and making real impact.
Describe your research in 3 words
People, housing, climate change.
Tell me briefly about your field of research?
My research looks at how risks brought on by climate change impact housing, including how communities understand risk and how this impacts their decisions. But it鈥檚 not just about identifying the risks, it鈥檚 about making sure that policymakers get the insights they need to create policies that reflect what people really need, rather than just one-size-fits-all solutions.
Research highlight
I enjoyed working closely with policymakers on our Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) funded national enquiry on disaster risk and housing to get a deeper understanding of how they make decisions. We always see the final outcomes of policies, but we don鈥檛 often get the chance to unpack the 鈥渨hy鈥� behind those decisions. One of the most fulfilling aspects of this project was hearing from people who told us how our research has directly influenced their work. It鈥檚 such a rewarding feeling knowing our work didn鈥檛 just sit on a shelf somewhere but makes a real difference to the sector.
If you could sit-in with any Faculty for a day, which would you pick?
Faculty of Business and Law. There鈥檚 always conversation in my field about costs, value, and money. I鈥檇 love to sit down with economists and find some kind of middle ground where we鈥檙e not just thinking about financial profits but also considering the broader social and environmental values that matter.
What are your passions/hobbies outside of work?
I鈥檓 an ocean swimmer. I swam solo in the Rottnest Channel Swim three years ago, which I鈥檓 really proud of. Swimming is my way of getting out of my own head.
I鈥檝e got a great swim group. We go for long swims which is followed by an even longer coffee session. It鈥檚 my favourite weekend ritual.
What鈥檚 a fun fact about you that your colleagues would probably not know?
I鈥檝e actually worked at 911爆料网 for 14 years but most people think I鈥檝e only been here for about four or five. I started off developing online learning materials through OUA, so I wasn鈥檛 physically on campus at first. It wasn鈥檛 until 2021 that I became full-time staff.
What鈥檚 the most valuable thing you鈥檝e learnt in your career so far?
Listen to people. Some of the most interesting and unexpected opportunities have come from conversations I never thought much of at the time.
What鈥檚 a piece of advice you would give your fellow colleagues, and students alike?
Know that resilience is everything. There are so many brilliant people in research, but what really sets people apart isn鈥檛 just being smart, it鈥檚 the ability to keep going, even when things don鈥檛 work out the first time. The thing about academia is you don鈥檛 always get the answers you want right away, and it鈥檚 frustrating, but if you stick with it, you鈥檒l get there.
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