Roanna McClelland's doctoral research at Melbourne Law School focused on emerging transnational rights-based approaches to water, climate and the environment. Her research incorporates interdisciplinary and empirical research methods, and spans domestic, international and transnational spheres, the private and public sectors, and explores intersections between areas of law including climate, water, environment, human rights, social movements and corporate accountability. Roanna has taught across the Melbourne Law School Breadth, Masters and JD programs including Principles of Public Law, Property Law, Global Human Rights, Climate Law and Water Law. She holds a Master of Laws (University of Sydney), LLB (Hons) (Adelaide University) and a Bachelor of Behavioral Science (Flinders University). 

Roanna has extensive experience across academia, policy and media, including as policy and media adviser to the Minister for Water and Premier of South Australia, and to former Prime Minister Julia Gillard in her work in global education, mental health and women’s leadership. She is also an award-winning writer of literary fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Comforting Weight of Water (Wakefield Press, 2023), won the Arts SA Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2022 and was a finalist for Best Science Fiction Novel, 2023 in the Aurealis Awards, Australia’s premier speculative fiction awards.