Duncan Sutherland

Dr. Duncan Sutherland is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Canberra within the School of Science, Department of Mathematics. He serves as deputy director of UNSW Bushfire and was appointed maths discipline coordinator in 2024. His academic journey began with a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Sydney in 2014, followed by postdoctoral research at Victoria University Melbourne focusing on Physics-based Simulation of Bushfires, before joining UNSW Canberra in 2014 and being promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2022.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Applied Mathematics, University of Sydney (2014)

Sutherland's research centers on computational fluid dynamics applied to bushfire problems, encompassing buoyancy-driven flows, entrainment and mixing, particle transport, contaminant modeling, and combustion modeling. His current work focuses on Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of laboratory-scale extreme fire behavior and field-scale grassfires, along with Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of buoyancy-driven flows to understand gravity current dynamics and mixing processes. His research bridges theoretical mathematics with practical fire safety applications.

An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on fire dynamics, with particular emphasis on junction fires, ember storms, and the effects of terrain and environmental conditions on fire behavior. His work demonstrates increasing sophistication in modeling complex fire phenomena, with a clear trajectory toward improving predictive capabilities for wildfire management and urban safety.

His significant research contributions have been recognized through substantial grant funding:

• Black Summer Recovery Grant ($804,000, 2022-2024)
• Suburban Land Agency contract ($70,000, 2022-2023)
• ARC Discovery Project: Gravity Current Driven Smoke Dispersion ($250,000, 2021-2024)
• ARC Discovery Project: Understanding Extreme and Mega Bushfires ($590,000, 2021-2024)
• Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC projects totaling over $600,000

Sutherland actively supervises graduate students including Tanvir Saurav, Nusrat Mehnaz, Will Swedosh, and Mohamad Sadeghi. His teaching responsibilities include ZPEM1304 Engineering Mathematics 1B and ZPEM3306 Waves and Fluids. His work with UNSW Bushfire demonstrates leadership in applying mathematical modeling to critical fire safety challenges, particularly at the wildland-urban interface where ember storms pose significant risks to communities.

His research group collaborates extensively with fire science experts across Australia, contributing to national efforts in improving bushfire resilience through physics-based modeling approaches.