Zahra Gharineiat is an Associate Professor at the University of Southern Queensland , affiliated with the School of Surveying and Built Environment . She has over 8 years of tertiary teaching experience and 11 years of administrative responsibilities. Bachelor of Surveying (BSurv), University of Tabriz Master of Engineering Management (MEngMgt), University of Melbourne PhD, University of Newcastle Research Interests : Zahra specializes in Geomatic Engineering and Machine Learning , with a focus on applications like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) , LiDAR , Digital Twins , and Remote Sensing . Her work spans Earth Science Observations , Satellite altimetry , and Geodetic data capturing , integrating Computational Modelling and Geoinformatics for innovative solutions. Professional Affiliations : She is a member of the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI) and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) . Her research affiliations include the Centre for Future Materials (CFM) , Institute for Advanced Engineering and Space Sciences (IAESS) , and Centre for Astrophysics (CA) .
Scientia Professor Gary Froyland is a Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), affiliated with the School of Mathematics & Statistics. He leads the ARC Laureate Centre for Dynamical Systems and Data and holds an Einstein Visiting Fellowship from the Einstein Foundation Berlin. His academic credentials include a BSc (Hons 1, Medal) in Pure and Applied Mathematics from the University of Queensland and a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Western Australia. Professor Froyland's research spans two primary domains: dynamical systems and optimization. In dynamical systems, he investigates the interplay of probability and geometry in nonlinear and chaotic systems, employing tools from ergodic theory, functional analysis, and differential geometry. His work extends to applications in oceanography, atmospheric science, and granular flows. In optimization, he focuses on decision-making in complex systems with uncertain information, developing novel approaches in mathematical programming that have been applied to mining, logistics, and medical treatment planning. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on coherent structures in dynamical systems, linear response theory, and applications to geophysical phenomena. The research shows increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with climate scientists and data analysts, reflecting a trend toward applying advanced mathematical techniques to real-world problems in environmental science and engineering. J.D. Crawford Prize (2025) Elected Member of the Academy of Europe / Academia Europaea (2024) ARC Laureate Fellow (2024-2029) Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) (2021) Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2020) Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence - Postgraduate Research Supervision (2015) Professor Froyland actively supervises PhD and honors students, with current advisees including Kevin Felipe Kühl Oliveira, Nicholas Peters, and Kathrin Völkner. His research is supported by multiple grants, including an ARC Laureate Fellowship (2024-2029) for "Breakthrough mathematics for dynamical systems and data," an Einstein Visiting Fellowship (2022-2026), and several ARC Discovery Projects. His work has practical applications in climate science, mining optimization, and medical treatment planning, particularly in radiotherapy. He leads the ARC Laureate Centre for Dynamical Systems and Data, which brings together researchers to develop new mathematical approaches for analyzing complex dynamical systems. The center focuses on creating methods to identify coherent structures in spatiotemporal data, with applications spanning environmental science, social science, health science, and engineering.
Stephen Roberts is a Professor at the Australian National University (ANU) in the College of Science, Department of Mathematics. He is the lead developer of the ANUGA open-source hydrodynamic modeling software, which simulates dam breaks, floods, and tsunamis for governments and engineers. Roberts has made significant contributions to computational mathematics, particularly in numerical methods for partial differential equations, sparse grid data fitting, and finite element approximations scaling to millions of data points. MSc, Flinders University (1980) PhD, University of California, Berkeley (1985) His research interests include: Computational methods for shallow water wave equations Development of Python-based scientific computing frameworks Global sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification Adaptive mesh algorithms for fluid dynamics Recent publications focus on energy-stable numerical schemes, multiscale flood simulation, and convergence analysis in sensitivity methods. Roberts actively collaborates with environmental agencies and has led major computational science education programs at ANU. Stephen serves as Treasurer of the Computational Mathematics Group (ANZIAM) and leads projects in: Parallelization of hydrodynamic models CO2 leak detection via atmospheric measurements Optimization of sparse grid combinations His work combines theoretical advancements with real-world applications in disaster risk reduction and climate policy.
Dr Jordan Pitt is an academic affiliated with the University of Sydney's Faculty of Science. He holds the role of Associate Dean (Indigenous Strategy and Services) while also actively contributing as an applied mathematician. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary research and Indigenous inclusion in academia. Dr Pitt completed his PhD at the Australian National University in 2019, focusing on tsunami and storm surge modeling. He pursued post-doctoral research at the University of Adelaide, where his studies expanded into ocean wave-sea ice interactions. Current research investigates how wave dynamics influence sea ice growth/melt cycles, a critical factor in Earth's climate systems. Research Interests: Mathematical modeling of environmental systems Ocean wave mechanics Climate change impacts on sea ice Computational fluid dynamics While no specific scientific awards are explicitly listed, Jordan has been involved in initiatives like co-convening the Academy of Science’s 'Looking Back, Moving Forward' Public Lecture Series (2023) and organizing the ANZIAM 2024 Early Career Workshop. His efforts bridge Indigenous communities with STEM fields through programs like Science Pathways. As an educator and researcher, Jordan has not listed formal advisees or grants in the provided texts. His professional networks include roles in Indigenous strategy and academic service. Jordan’s work is associated with laboratories and teams focused on environmental fluid dynamics and climate modeling, though specific lab names are not mentioned.
David Henderson is the Director of the Cyclone Testing Station (CTS) in the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences at James Cook University, Australia. He has over two decades of experience as a research engineer specializing in the performance of low-rise buildings under extreme wind conditions. He previously served as the CTS Research Fellow and Manager, and was seconded as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, working on full-scale house testing under simulated wind loads. His work bridges engineering research, disaster assessment, and policy development. David's research focuses on wind engineering, structural resilience, and disaster mitigation. His key interests include cyclonic wind loading, internal and external pressure dynamics in buildings, fatigue failure of structural connections, and the vulnerability of housing to severe wind events. He has conducted post-disaster surveys across Australia and Canada, assessing damage from cyclones, tornadoes, and earthquakes. His research has direct applications in building codes, retrofitting strategies, and community risk reduction. The recent publications highlight a strong trend in understanding and mitigating wind-induced damage to residential structures, particularly through full-scale testing, modeling of pressure dynamics, and fragility assessment of roofing systems. His work spans experimental, theoretical, and policy-oriented domains, with a growing emphasis on climate change adaptation and community resilience. Topics such as internal pressure design, load sharing in roof frames, and retrofitting for wind resistance are central to his contributions. 14 research awards (specific names not listed) Active member of Standards Australia code committees Invited speaker at national and international conferences Media contributor on storm damage and building safety David has led multiple research projects funded by councils and agencies focused on extreme wind mitigation, data systems (SWIRLnet), and community risk reduction. While formal student supervision is not explicitly listed, he collaborates extensively with researchers such as John Ginger, Korah Parackal, and Daniel Smith. He has contributed to major studies involving wind load testing, housing vulnerability modeling, and climate adaptation planning. David is a key figure in the Cyclone Testing Station, leading its full-scale testing program and contributing to the development of software for controlled load and measurement systems. His team conducts wind risk assessments for communities and large installations, incorporating terrain analysis and retrofitting evaluations. The CTS serves as a national resource for wind engineering research and disaster resilience innovation.
Associate Professor Brett Jason Hallam is a Scientia Fellow at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), affiliated with the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. His research focuses on advancing solar panel manufacturing, particularly improving efficiency and reducing costs through innovations like selective emitter formation, laser processing, and hydrogen passivation. Key areas include understanding hydrogen passivation mechanisms to address defects in silicon solar cells and developing next-generation technologies such as TOPCon and SHJ cells. Education: PhD in Photovoltaic Engineering (UNSW, 2014), BE (First Class Honours and University Medal) and BSc in Physics/Oceanography (UNSW, 2009). He has held research placements at Fraunhofer Institute (Germany), Oxford University (UK), and IMEC (Belgium). Research Interests: Advanced hydrogenation for solar cells, material challenges for terawatt-scale PV deployment, reducing silver consumption, and sustainable manufacturing. Current projects include ARENA-funded initiatives on high-efficiency solar cell technologies and next-generation selective emitters. Notable Awards: 2018 Scientia Fellow, 2017 NSW Premier Prize for Energy Innovation, and 2016 Ulrich Goesele Young Scientist Award. His work addresses global energy transition goals, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050. Industry Experience: Consultant for Suntech Power and Technology Transfer Team at UNSW, collaborating with companies like LONGi and Jinko. He advises on silicon solar cell technologies and has 16 patents. Labs/Teams: Active in UNSW’s PV research groups, focusing on scalable solar solutions and material science innovations.
Dr. Niharika Singh is a Lecturer in the UniSQ College (Pathways) at the University of Southern Queensland. She holds a BEd from the South Pacific, an MSc from the South Pacific, and a PhD from USQ. Her research spans two primary areas: educational technology and fluid dynamics. In education, she focuses on student engagement in online learning environments, interactive technologies, and widening participation programs. In fluid dynamics, her work examines solitary waves, nonlinear wave behavior, and oceanographic models. She received Seed Funding Early Research Career grant in 2023 and serves as an Associate Supervisor for doctoral research exploring effective teaching practices for remote students. Her educational research includes studies on Panopto video analytics, embedded quizzes in lecture videos, and the impact of filmic 'dark academia' on academic identity. Her fluid dynamics work analyzes modulational instability in rotating oceans and soliton dynamics in two-layer systems. Dr. Singh contributes to the academic community through affiliations with UniSQ College and collaborations on projects like Third Space Theory applications in pathways education. She has published extensively across these fields, with recent work appearing in journals like Technology, Pedagogy and Education and Wave Motion .
Associate Professor Jochen Kaempf is a physical oceanographer at Flinders University's College of Science and Engineering since 2009. He holds a PhD from the University of Hamburg (1996) and has pioneered research on coastal upwelling systems, sediment dynamics, and ocean circulation. His work includes discovering the Great Southern Australian Coastal Upwelling System and advancing understanding of the Indian Ocean Dipole. He teaches marine sciences and climate change courses, and advises on desalination and environmental protection. Awards include the Jill Hudson Award (2014) and Eureka Award finalist (2011). Research focuses on physical-biological interactions, hydrodynamic modeling, and coastal processes. Key contributions include studies on sediment transport in submarine canyons, desalination brine dispersion, and pollutant dynamics. He serves on international committees like the 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition and reviews scientific manuscripts globally.
Dr Daniel Harris is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography at the School of the Environment, University of Queensland (UQ). His research focuses on coastal and coral reef morphodynamics, integrating physical processes like waves and tides with ecological and geological systems. Prior to UQ, he held positions at the University of Sydney and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT). He leads The BeachLab, dedicated to developing tools for coastal resilience in a warming world. Research interests include coral reef structural complexity, coastal protection under climate change, and surf zone processes. His work combines field data, remote sensing (e.g., LiDAR, drones), and numerical modeling to address both fundamental and applied questions. Notable projects involve quantifying coral rubble mobility, analyzing Holocene reef evolution, and assessing shoreline change via satellite imagery. His expertise spans marine geoscience, physical oceanography, and environmental adaptation strategies. Publications emphasize coral reef dynamics, coastal geomorphology, and climate impacts. He collaborates with ecologists, geologists, and coastal engineers to advance interdisciplinary solutions. Teaching focuses on geography and marine science, reflecting his commitment to educating future researchers and practitioners. Key contributions include advancing methods for shoreline monitoring using Bayesian networks and Google Earth Engine. His research highlights the critical role of coral reefs in coastal protection, particularly under rising sea levels and extreme weather events. The BeachLab’s work bridges academic inquiry with practical management strategies for vulnerable coastal ecosystems.
Navid Constantinou is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Melbourne, specializing in Climate & Ocean Geoscience. His research focuses on physical oceanography, geophysical fluid dynamics, and climate modeling, with a particular emphasis on machine learning applications in these fields. He is affiliated with the University of Melbourne and contributes to collaborative projects like Oceananigans.jl and regional-mom6. Research Interests: His work explores ocean circulation dynamics, fluid mechanics, and the interplay between atmospheric and oceanic systems. Key areas include surface wave effects, turbulence decay, and parameterization of ocean mixing processes. He actively develops computational tools to enhance climate modeling accuracy and resolution. Publications: His recent work addresses topics like meridional heat transport in the Atlantic, GPU-based ocean modeling, and the impact of climate change on Antarctic currents. These studies often involve interdisciplinary collaborations with institutions like MIT and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Awards: While no explicit awards are listed, his research has been highlighted in prominent journals and media outlets like The Conversation and Nature Climate Change . Advising & Grants: He supervises students such as Dhruv Bhagtani and collaborates on projects funded by initiatives like the Australian Research Council. His software contributions, including OceanBioME.jl and SpeedyWeather.jl, underscore his commitment to advancing computational methods in geosciences. Labs/Teams: Involved in global climate modeling teams and open-source software development communities focused on ocean and atmospheric dynamics.
Assoc. Professor Sarah Hamylton holds a position at the University of Wollongong's School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences (SEALS). Her research focuses on coastal geomorphology, coral reef ecology, and mangrove ecosystems, integrating spatial analysis with art-science collaboration. She leads interdisciplinary projects addressing climate change impacts on coastal environments and promotes gender equity in fieldwork practices. Her work combines remote sensing, GIS modeling, and field-based studies to assess reef island dynamics and sediment transport processes. Hamylton has secured significant funding through grants such as the Australian Research Council's 'Mangrove sustainability on the Australian coast' (2022-2025) and the Advancement and Equity Grants Scheme for Research. These projects explore mangrove carbon storage, island vulnerability, and sustainable coastal management strategies. She actively supervises PhD and Master’s students in topics like interdisciplinary approaches to island sustainability and mangrove extent dynamics. Her research outputs emphasize geospatial analysis of coral reef systems, including studies on sediment dynamics, microatoll detection via drone imagery, and historical reef development. Collaborations span environmental humanities, leveraging songwriting and art to enhance public engagement with climate science. Hamylton's work bridges physical and social sciences, addressing both ecological and human dimensions of coastal change.
Simon Clarke is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Science , Monash University . His research focuses on the evolution of nonlinear waves and their applications to geophysical flows, with expertise in numerical modeling, fluid dynamics, and wave instability. His research interests include: Nonlinear wave dynamics Geophysical fluid dynamics Internal and interfacial wave behavior Numerical methods for differential equations Recent publications highlight advancements in nonlinear wave modeling, including solutions to the Korteweg–de Vries equation and computational techniques for fluid flow analysis. Clarke served as a guest editor for The ANZIAM Journal in 2017, contributing to peer-review and editorial work.
Julie Arblaster is a Professor at Monash University's School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, where she joined in February 2016 after more than a decade at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. She maintains strong collaborative ties with colleagues at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in the United States, where she previously worked. Her research profile spans climate science with significant contributions to understanding climate extremes, decadal variability, and the role of the Antarctic ozone hole in shifting storm tracks. Professor Arblaster's research interests focus on climate variability, climate extremes, climate modeling, climate change, and stratospheric ozone. Her work contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and environmental protection. She has published extensively with 116 research outputs documented, showing consistent productivity across decades with recent publications in high-impact journals like Nature Sustainability and AGU Advances. Her recent work examines wildfire health impacts, Southern Hemisphere climate variability, drought mechanisms, and atmospheric circulation changes. Her scientific achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Anton Hales Medal (2014), Priestley Medal (2017), and election as Fellow of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (2022). Anton Hales Medal (2014) Priestley Medal (2017) Fellow, Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (2022) Professor Arblaster is actively involved in significant research projects including the ARC Centre of Excellence for The Weather of the 21st Century (2024-2031), the Hosting ACCESS-NRI Ice Sheet Modelling team (2025-2028), and Climate Change and Human Health in Asia (2021-2024). She serves on multiple advisory bodies including the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (Australia), the World Climate Research Programme Coupled Model Intercomparison Project panel, and the Australian Academy of Science. Her collaborative network spans globally with significant contributions to international climate assessment efforts.
Adi Kurniawan is a Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in the School of Earth and Oceans, affiliated with the Marine Energy Research Australia (MERA) and the Great Southern Marine Research Facility (GSMRF). His research focuses on wave energy conversion, wave-structure interactions, and multi-objective optimization. He holds a PhD in Marine Technology from NTNU and has held roles at Aalborg University and the University of Plymouth. Kurniawan co-authored Ocean Waves and Oscillating Systems and contributes to industry standards (Standards Australia Committee EL-066) and journal editing (Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering). Research Interests: Wave energy converter (WEC) design and optimization Nonlinear wave dynamics and numerical modeling Multi-objective optimization of wave farms Parametric resonance mitigation in WECs Teaching: Previously taught OCEN4007 Renewable Ocean Energy. Active in the Oceans Graduate School, covering oceanography, hydrodynamics, and marine geoscience. Collaborations: Works with industry on sponsored projects, including wave energy device modeling and power prediction. Part of the UN SDGs contributing to sustainable energy solutions (SDG 7, 13, 14). Grants: Lead investigator on projects like 'Advancing ocean renewable energy systems through physics and machine learning' and 'WaveX Albany', totaling over $2M in funding. Projects emphasize scalability, cost reduction, and environmental impact assessments. Labs/Teams: Based at the GSMRF in Albany, collaborating with international partners on WEC testing and deployment strategies.
Dr. Manuel Gonzalez Rivero is a Research Fellow and Team Leader of Reef Process Dynamics at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). His work focuses on multidisciplinary approaches to understand coral reef ecosystem dynamics, combining ecological theory, mathematical modeling, and advanced technologies like AI and 3D mapping. He leads initiatives integrating global coral reef monitoring with climate change impact assessments. Education: PhD in Biological Sciences (University of Exeter, UK, 2012), BSc in Biological Sciences (Universidad Central de Venezuela, 2005). Research Interests: Spatial and disturbance ecology of coral reefs Climate change effects on reef resilience Automated coral reef monitoring using AI and autonomous systems Long-term trajectories of reef communities Technological advancements in habitat mapping and 3D modeling Publications highlight contributions to coral reef recovery dynamics, AI-driven monitoring, and global bleaching impacts. His work emphasizes scalable solutions for reef conservation amid climate pressures. Grants and Labs: Active in AIMS-led projects, including XL Catlin Seaview Survey and Reef 2050 monitoring. Collaborates with institutions like the University of Queensland and UNESCO.
