Associate Professor Melissa Humphries is a decision scientist who helps people make better decisions when the stakes are high and the data are messy. She works where numbers collide with real lives – in forensic labs, hospitals, defence, social services, and social media – turning sprawling datasets into clear, explainable answers that experts can actually use. Her specialty is building and stress-testing decision systems that are accurate, transparent, and as unbiased as possible, while still fitting into the frantic reality of frontline work. A lively, plain-language explainer, Melissa is known for making complex statistics feel human, funny, and surprisingly non-scary. She’s as comfortable talking about dodgy graphs and AI hype as she is unpacking why “the data” is never the full story, and what that means for everyday people. An ex-chef and wannabe psychologist who got lost in the maths, Melissa completed her PhD in Statistics and Mathematical Psychology at the University of Tasmania in 2017, with an 11‑month‑old in tow. She is now an Associate Professor and Portfolio Lead, Research, in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Adelaide University, where she splits her time between high-impact collaborations, mentoring the next generation of data thinkers, and pushing for structural changes that make academia kinder and more accessible for everyone.

Associate Professor Melissa Humphries is a Superstar of STEM.