Geoff Cary

Professor Geoff Cary serves as Associate Director (Research) at the Fenner School of Environment & Society at The Australian National University (ANU). With a PhD in Ecology from ANU and a Bachelor of Applied Science (Environmental Biology) with Honors from the University of Technology Sydney, he has established himself as a leading researcher in fire ecology and management.

Geoff's research spans landscape-scale fire simulation, fire ecology across multiple biological scales, house loss in wildland fires, and laboratory fire behavior experimentation. He has developed expertise in modeling fire regimes under climate change and co-led an international group of landscape-scale wildland fire simulation modelers. His work bridges fundamental ecological research with practical fire management applications.

Analyzing his publication record reveals a consistent focus on fire behavior prediction, fire ecology, and fire management. His recent work increasingly incorporates remote sensing technologies, climate modeling, and interdisciplinary approaches that connect fire science with Indigenous knowledge systems and wildlife conservation. His research demonstrates a progression from theoretical fire ecology to applied fire management solutions.

Geoff has served in significant leadership roles including Associate Director (Higher Degree Research) and membership on multiple committees including the Fenner School Executive Committee and College of Systems and Society research committee. He was Associate Editor (2002-2023) and remains on the Editorial Advisory Committee for the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

Professor Cary has supervised 23 Higher Degree Research scholars (18 completed PhD, 3 current PhD, 2 completed MPhil) and 19 Honours scholars, with his students publishing approximately 30 journal articles from their thesis research. His teaching portfolio includes 'Fire in the Environment' and contributions to courses on climate change, environmental policy, and sustainability.

His research is organized through multiple projects including 'Re-emergence of First Nations burning in contemporary grassy woodlands,' 'ANU-Optus Bushfire project: Evaluation of Fire Detection Techniques,' and 'Analysis of ACT LiDAR remote sensing for bushfire fuel characteristics.'