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DRI-Net Researcher Database
Dr Sirjana Adhikari
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Engineering and Technology
Research interests:
I am an Associate research fellow at Deakin University working with a team of experts at CoE Minerals towards circular and sustainable mining.
I am a biochar enthusiast, working on how biochar can help build healthy soils and ecosystems. I am also interested in other applications of biochar in sustainable construction, carbon sequestration and degraded land remediation.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
soils, carbon, emissions, sustainable, regenerative agriculture
Dr Mumtaz Ali
Institution:
The University of Southern Queensland
Location:
Queensland
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Information Technology
Research interests:
Climate Modelling, Drought, AI, Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling, Sustainability
ORCID:
0000-0002-6975-5159
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
climate change, drought policy, groundwater, hydrology, sustainable, risk analysis, spatial data, Data-Driven Modelling
Dr Emily Armstrong
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Dr Linden Ashcroft
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Media Studies and Communication, Education
Research interests:
My research interests are climate variability and change, historical climate, and the way people experience weather and climate change.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
communications, knowledge brokering, weather
Dr Christiane Bahlo
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Information Technology, Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Cross-disciplinary FAIR and open data specialist with focus on agriculture and environmental sciences
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
livestock, spatial data, soils, ecosystem services, FAIR data, metadata standards
Prof Andrew Barton
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Other (please describe), Engineering and Technology
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Prof Simon Batterbury
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
PhD and major research projects on drought management and sustainable livelihoods in West Africa drylands, in the '90s/'2000s. Now working more in the Pacific, but still with an interest in soil and water conservation and bottom-up initiatives.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
dryland, ESG, political ecology
Prof Thomas Baumgartl
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
As an environmental scientist with focus on soil science I am interested in the sustainable use of soils and the rehabilitation of degraded soils. Soil hydrology and soil mechanics are key areas of my interest, ranging from measurements of hydrological and mechanical parameters in our laboratory (water retention characteristic; hydraulic conductivity; soil strength), interpretation of data and numerical modelling using e.g. Hydrus-2D/3D.
Carbon plays an important role in sustainable soil use and my interests also extends into using and defining soil health as criteria for the state of soils and regenerative agriculture
ORCID:
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Keywords:
carbon, dryland, hydrology, soils
Prof Richard Bell
Institution:
Murdoch University
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Soil management
Alleviating subsoil constraints
Increased crop water use efficiency
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
broad-acre, dryland, carbon, cropping, soils
Dr Nusrat Rewana Binte Razzak
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Engineering and Technology
Research interests:
I am an early-career researcher with a background in Environmental and Chemical Engineering, specialising in sustainable waste-to-resource technologies. My research focuses on converting organic waste into circular economy products such as biochar, activated carbon, and digestate, with practical applications in water treatment and land management.
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Dr Jen Bond
Institution:
Charles Sturt University
Location:
New South Wales, Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Agricultural extension, rural sociology, human geography
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
knowledge brokering, broad-acre, conservation, gender
Dr Sarah Casey
Institution:
The University of the Sunshine Coast
Location:
Queensland
Discipline:
Media Studies and Communication
Research interests:
Dr Sarah Casey is Discipline Lead in Communication, UniSC. She is the President for the Australian Women’s and Gender Studies Association, the peak body for such research in Australia. Sarah leads a series of projects called ‘Stories of Country Women’. She is the co-author of two academic books, and is published in high-ranking journals. Sarah spent many years in industry before becoming an academic. She looks at how women can mitigate the financial impacts of climate change in RRR Australia (particularly drought) and more recently, the Pacific. She explores creative communication (podcasts, microdocumentaries) to share stories, and also looks at community leadership, and advocacy in these communities.
UniSC bio: https://www.usc.edu.au/staff/dr-sarah-casey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sarah-casey-aba60015b/
ORCID:
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Keywords:
gender, communications, climate change, women, catchment management, innovation assessment
Dr Edwin Chester
Institution:
Murdoch University
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
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Dr Hamish Clarke
Institution:
The University of Melbourne,FLARE Wildfire Research
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
Wildfire risk, fire management, climate change, risk communication, industry engagement, community engagement
ORCID:
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Keywords:
spatial data, visualisation
Dr Tim Clune
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Business
Research interests:
I am passionate about sustainable agribusinesses and their contribution to sustainable regional economies. I have spent the last two decades in senior consulting, research, science management and corporate roles across the private and public sectors and in the not-for-profit sector. My diverse experience includes agribusiness research and education; advising government, agriculture and urban landscape clients as a consulting agronomist as well as environmental and corporate risk management in the water sector. My current research focusses on rural business resilience, the equitable distribution of water resources in regional communities and agriculture policy. My research is grounded in the understanding of farming systems as part of a complex catchment environment. I have undergraduate qualifications in Agricultural Science and a PhD in Agriculture, both from the University of Sydney. Additionally, I have a Masters of Environmental Laws obtained from the Australian National University and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
ORCID:
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Keywords:
broad-acre, soils, water policy, rural business resilience, farming systems analysis, agricultural policy, risk analysis
Assoc Prof Brendan Cullen
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
beef, dairy, emissions, farming systems analysis, livestock, sustainable
Dr George Cunnigham
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
George is a Knowledge Broker for the Vic Drought Hub. In addition, he is a post-doctoral associate specialising in Evolutionary Ecology in the QAEL group at Deakin University, involved in a number of research projects focussed on various aspects of freshwater ecology.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
catchment management, biodiversity, knowledge brokering, conservation, ecology, evolution
Dr Younes Dahhane
Institution:
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
Location:
Outside Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
My research focuses on climate change adaptation, with an emphasis on assessing vulnerability, resilience, and sustainable response strategies. I explore adaptation pathways that integrate policy, governance, and nature-based solutions. My work leverages data-driven modeling to anticipate climate impacts and guide decision-making.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, drought policy, dryland, groundwater
Assoc Prof Peter Dahlhaus
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
Peter's career spans 50 years in engineering geology, environmental geology and hydrogeology working in private and public sectors, investigating the geology, geomorphology, soils, groundwater and geohazards in south west Victoria. He has been influential in applying his scientific knowledge to direct policy on salinity, soils and catchment management, and as an independent advisor to Catchment Management Authorities, water authorities and municipalities in the region. With his colleagues at CeRDI, Peter's current research focuses on spatial data interoperability and visualisation to ensure that environmental data, information and knowledge are globally and publicly available. He is an active collaborator on the development of international data exchange standards and a participant in national Cooperative Research Centres. Peter's passion is for establishing data democracies.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
soils, groundwater, catchment management, hydrology, spatial data
Berenice Della Porta
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Berenice is a PhD candidate at La Trobe University working on soil condition and biology across different farming systems, as part of the Farm-scale Natural Capital Accounting project.
Her research focus is to unpack the incredible complexity of soil microbial communities by identifying microbial traits that relate with known soil physicochemical properties and management practices. By doing so, her research aims to develop improved metrics of soil health that can feed back into natural capital accounts and inform decision-making for sustainable land management and agricultural production.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
soils, biodiversity, carbon, ecosystem services, methane, sustainable, broad-acre, communications, conservation, soil health, soil biology, natural capital accounting
Annemaree Docking-Cehun
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Dr David Dodemaide
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Freshwater ecology
ORCID:
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Keywords:
drought policy, water policy, ecology, wetland, invertebrates, rivers
Assoc Prof Jim Dollman
Institution:
The University of South Australia,Flinders University
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Medicine and Health
Research interests:
Social capital
Community development of health promotion
ORCID:
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Keywords:
health, mental health, physical activity
Dr James Dougherty
Institution:
CSIRO
Location:
Queensland
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
beef, biodiversity, dairy, emissions, lamb, methane, livestock, visualisation, regenerative agriculture, wool, sustainable
Rose Elphck-Darling
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Other (please describe), Information Technology
Research interests:
Food Systems, Traceability, Agrifood Supply Chain, Digitalisation, Transport & Logistics
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
farming systems analysis, supply chain, Agricultural supply chain strategy
Dr Aydin Enez
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
Soil health and biology
ORCID:
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Keywords:
Andrew Etherton
Institution:
Marcus Oldham College
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Yield Gap
Farming Systems
Sustainability
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
broad-acre
Jiaqi Fan
Institution:
Flinders University
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Economics, Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
the economic effects of drought on agricultural industry and different agricultural sectors.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
farm finance, rural business resilience
Dr Rachel Fetherston
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences, Creative Arts
Research interests:
Rachel Fetherston is a Lecturer in Literary Studies in the School of Communication & Creative Arts at Deakin University. Her research is concerned with Australian literature, climate fiction and ecofiction, postcolonial cultures and ecologies, reader response and posthumanism. She is currently developing a project that investigates the cultural and ecological dimensions of fences, roads and the rural/urban divide in rural and regional Australian communities.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
literary studies; environmental humanities; rural infrastructure; fences; climate change
Joe Finneran
Institution:
MADE
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Prof David Fleming-Munoz
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Business
Research interests:
Monitoring and evaluation, public policy, economic analysis, impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis
ORCID:
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Keywords:
Ash Gopal
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Media Studies and Communication
Research interests:
Crisis and risk communication for disasters
Digital media
Culture and traditional communication practices
Climate change adaptation
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
communications
Prof Deanna Grant-Smith
Institution:
The University of the Sunshine Coast
Location:
Queensland
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences, Business
Research interests:
decent work, gender, work-integrated learning, employability, community-based activism, participatory planning, stakeholder engagement, sanitation, social justice
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
communications, gender, policy, water policy, sanitation, social justice
Prof Rosanne Guijt
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Engineering and Technology, Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
My team aims to develop new technologies for early detection of threats of disease, looking at chemical markers
ORCID:
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Keywords:
knowledge brokering, chemical analysis, field portable chemical analysis
Dr Don Gunasekera
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Business, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
agricultural policy, drought policy, innovation assessment
Assoc Prof Dorin Gupta
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
My research focuses on enhancing the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of crop production systems across cereals, legumes, annual horticulture, and native crops. I work on stress mitigation strategies, including the use of silicon for improving tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and explore the potential of wild crop relatives to broaden the genetic base of cultivated species. My research integrates sensor-based technologies, high-throughput phenotyping, speed breeding, and genomics with field-based approaches to optimise resource use, improve crop performance, and support climate-resilient agriculture. I am particularly interested in collaborations that advance sustainable food production, stress-resilient cropping systems, and nature-based solutions, with a strong focus on translating experimental findings into practical, farmer-ready applications.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
broad-acre, biodiversity, carbon, conservation, cropping, horticulture, productivity, regenerative agriculture, vegetables, sustainable
Assoc Prof Marcus Hardie
Institution:
The University of Tasmania
Location:
Tasmania
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Soil hydrology, soil physics, soil water availability, soil health, irrigation efficiency, soil macroporosity, soil moisture sensors, new sensor technologies.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
soils, groundwater, hydrology, irrigation, carbon
Prof Jim He
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Soil ecology, soil microorganisms and fauna, soil biodiversity and soil health.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
biodiversity, carbon, ecosystem services, grain, soils, Soil chemistry, environmental resilience, plant-microbe interactions, nutrient cycling
Dr Kaitlyn Height
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Erandi Herath
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
How microbes help plants to alleviate stress.
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Prof Kristy Hess
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Media Studies and Communication
Research interests:
Media and communication
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
communications, knowledge brokering, Social capital, media, social connection
Dr Galen Holt
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
Dr Galen Holt studies the large-scale outcomes of interactions between environmental conditions and the systems that depend on them. His studies span theoretical and empirical work to better understand ecological outcomes such as biodiversity and climate response, as well as ecological modelling for water management. He has experience conducting field studies in many different areas, and a major focus of his work is developing process-based models for responses of complex systems that can scale from small areas to regions, while accounting for large spatial and temporal variation. He uses these models to assess response to historical conditions and predict response to future climates or potential new management scenarios. This work accentuates the importance of uncertainty, ranges of potential outcomes, and identification of knowledge gaps to improve future understanding.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
biodiversity, catchment management, ecosystem services, conservation, risk analysis, water policy, visualisation, scenario modelling, uncertainty, climate
Assoc Prof Kate Howell
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Assoc Prof Hang-Wei Hu
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Soil biology, soil health, plant-soil microbe interactions, nitrogen cycling
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
biodiversity
Dr Alan Humphries
Institution:
SARDI,The University of Adelaide
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Diverse interests in Pasture research including the complete pipeline from conservation of pasture genetic resources to commercialisation of new varieties adapted to modern farming systems and changing climates. Activities include;
Pasture Genetic Resources and Conservation
Pasture pre-breeding and pasture breeding
Climate adaptation of the feedbase - perennials, hard seeded annuals, grazing management, farming system integration with grain and fodder crops
Feedbase management, whole farm planning and drought preparedness
Livestock and Feedbase interactions - nutrition,, fertility, production
ORCID:
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Keywords:
beef, lamb, pasture, perennials
Dr Viliamu Iese
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Education, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Indigenous and Traditional knowledge, Agriculture and Forestry, Other (please describe)
Research interests:
Interests on understanding decision making processes and context in building drought resilience, climate resilience management in agriculture and food systems. What are the diversities of climate risk management actions, adaptation actions to avert, minimise, and address climate change and drought loss and damage in agriculture, food systems, environment and farmers. How to co-design resilient interventions, and measure their impacts on resilient of farms, farmers and environment.
ORCID:
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Udara Induruwage Don
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Udara's doctoral research contributes to the project “Plugging Leaky Landscapes: Turnip Creek Catchment Rehydration” in Badaginnie, Victoria, in collaboration with Bush Heritage Australia. He is investigating how selected landscape rehydration interventions such as contour ripping, improved vegetative cover, and deep-rooted pasture mixes with rotational grazing can enhance catchment water retention and pasture productivity. To support this, Udara is developing a multi-criteria decision-making framework to guide the selection of interventions suited to different catchment conditions. Using predictive modelling, he assess the impacts of landscape rehydration interventions on water yield, with a focus on reducing overland flow and enhancing subsurface flow.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
hydrology, groundwater, soils
Hameer Jhiknaria
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (other), Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
My broad area of expertise lies in disaster risk assessment and community engagement building practices. My past research work has investigated the evolution of risk and vulnerability of agrarian hazards across administrative regions through spatial and temporal analysis. The spatio-temporal analysis is conducted using various statistical modelling and geospatial mapping techniques. The works have supported the development of evidence-based insights to guide mitigation and adaption strategies. I am passionate about assessing disaster risk and building resilience through multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary approaches
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
risk analysis, spatial data, policy, Natural Hazards, Resilience Building, Mixed Methods, Geographic Information System (GIS), Community Engagement, Climate Change
Assoc Prof Alison Kennedy
Institution:
National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH),Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Medicine and Health, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Research on all aspects of farmer health, wellbeing and safety. Focus on co-designed and translational research.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
agricultural policy, mental health, health
Prof Isaya Kisekka
Institution:
The University of California
Location:
Outside Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Agriculture and Forestry, Engineering and Technology
Research interests:
Dr. Kisekka is a full professor at UC Davis specializing in hydrologic processes that impact water, nitrogen, and salt balances in agricultural landscapes. His research focuses on optimizing crop production and economic outcomes while minimizing environmental impacts through precision irrigation, agro-hydrologic monitoring, and modeling. Over his 12-year career, he has authored/co-authored 106 peer-reviewed articles, three book chapters, and led many projects as the principal investigator, securing $17 million in grants. Additionally, he has served as a co-PI on projects totaling over $20 million, funded by organizations such as the USDA, NSF, and US-Israel BARD. Dr. Kisekka’s significant contributions include establishing the Central Valley Agricultural Water Monitoring Network, a first-of-its-kind deep vadose-zone monitoring network to track water, nitrate, and salt movement to groundwater. He also developed a framework that integrates remote sensing, machine learning, and agro-hydrological modeling to improve irrigation management. He co-founded the UC Davis Agricultural Water Center of Excellence, focusing on groundwater security for food, people, and the environment. As a lead researcher in the NSF Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems, his work has gained media attention from CNN and CNBC. Dr. Kisekka has earned prestigious accolades, including the 2020 National Excellence in Education Award (Irrigation Association) and the 2022 ASABE Netafim-Microirrigation Award. He is also a distinguished alumnus of the University of Florida. He has mentored 13 PhD, 5 MSc, and nine postdoctoral scholars, with many now in academia, government, and industry.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
groundwater, hydrology, irrigation, soils, agricultural policy
Heidi Kleinert
Institution:
Location:
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Nothern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, ACT
Discipline:
Media Studies and Communication
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
communications, catchment management, knowledge brokering, pest management
Prof Rebecca Lester
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Dr Rebecca Lester’s research in drought resilience focuses on integrating ecological science with agricultural practice to support climate adaptation across Australia’s regional landscapes. Her work spans freshwater resource management, pasture system modelling, and the development of tools that help producers and policymakers respond to climate variability. She leads major initiatives such as Pasture 365 and the Climate Adaptation Theme of the Water and Environment Research Program, which deliver actionable insights for sustainable water use and agribusiness under drought conditions. With expertise in Life Cycle Assessment, hydroclimate modelling, and stakeholder engagement, Dr Lester’s research aims to build resilient agricultural systems that balance environmental integrity with economic viability.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
catchment management, hydrology, sustainable, knowledge brokering
Assoc Prof Leanne Lester
Institution:
The University of Western Australia
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Social outcomes, impact of drought on communities, resilience
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
Social outcomes, impact, resilience
Dr Yizhi Li
Institution:
Australian National University
Location:
ACT
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Yizhi’s research focuses on forecasting drought-induced vegetation deterioration in dryland ecosystems. He specialises in analysing vegetation–hydrometeorological interactions and applying ensemble forecasting techniques. Currently, he is working at the Bushfire Research Centre (ANU) on early fire detection projects, including studies of ignition weather conditions, satellite-based fire detection, and fire spread simulations.
ORCID:
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James Malcher
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
My key interest is in using big spatial data to improve outcomes for land and water management. I have a particular interest in irrigated agriculture as a high input-high output industry. Currently I'm working on modelling irrigation in the Southern Murray-Darling using remote sensing data. I love working with water as it sits at the heart of our economic, social. political and environmental lives.
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
catchment management, irrigation, hydrology, horticulture, spatial data, remote sensing
Dr Marita McGuirk
Institution:
Soil Science Australia
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Tree Health,
The influence of vegetation on aeolian transport of sediment
ORCID:
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Keywords:
Dr David McKenzie
Institution:
Charles Darwin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Other (please describe), Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Strengthening personal, family and community resilient responses [preparedness, recovery] to the challenges of rapid and slow onset climate events.
Strengthening the efficacy of functioning in farmer and community groups
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
Ceilidh Meo
Institution:
Location:
Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales
Discipline:
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
biodiversity, carbon, business strategy, dryland, energy, farm finance, farm operations, gender, horticulture, innovation assessment, productivity, quality management, regenerative agriculture, rural business resilience, soils, supply chain, sustainable, irrigation, farmer/grower, olives, co-operative
Vaughan Mitchell
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Engineering and Technology
Research interests:
Bushfire impact to water treatment and distribution systems
ORCID:
0009-0002-0359-5022
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
water policy
Lauren Mitchell
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Medicine and Health
Research interests:
Clinical trial research, implementation research
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
Prof Caroline Mohammed
Institution:
The University of Tasmania
Location:
Tasmania
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, carbon, drought policy, ecosystem services, emissions, irrigation, soils
Sam Moore
Institution:
Evidn
Location:
Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales, Nothern Territory, ACT
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Prof Ruth Nettle
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria, New South Wales
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Social science
ORCID:
Google Scholar:
Keywords:
agricultural policy, drought policy, emissions, carbon, water policy, farming systems analysis, regenerative agriculture, participatory research; transdisciplinary methods
Dr Lucie Newsome
Institution:
The University of New England
Location:
New South Wales
Discipline:
Business, Economics
Research interests:
My research interests are:
-Gender and farm succession planning
- Agricultural labour force change, particularly the professionalisation of agriculture and growth in the professional services sector.
- Women's roles in agricultural production, particularly regenerative and small scale production.
- Local food systems and producer and consumer engagement within these food systems.
I teach into the Bachelor of Agribusiness, Bachelor of Business and Master of Human Resource Management at the University of New England.
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Keywords:
gender, business strategy, agricultural policy, regenerative agriculture, rural business resilience
Olajumoke (Jummy) Ogedengbe
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
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Dr Alexis Pang
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Education, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
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Keywords:
carbon, broad-acre, soils, spatial data, horticulture, hydrology
Dr Jana-Axinja Paschen
Institution:
Monash Sustainable Development Institute
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Community-led resilience planning; applying a community development lens to drought, disaster and climate resilience; adaptive governance; social learning and co-design
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, catchment management, communications, drought policy, knowledge brokering, water policy, sustainable
Dr John Pickering
Institution:
Evidn
Location:
Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland, Nothern Territory, ACT
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
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Udara Piyathilake
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
My current research focuses on developing a decision-making framework to identify the most suitable soil and water conservation interventions under various scenarios. This includes modelling the predictive outcomes of such interventions and evaluating their real-world impacts on soil moisture, soil quality, and pasture productivity within agricultural catchments.
More broadly, my research interests span hydrology, hydrogeochemistry, soil-related assessments, and GIS-based catchment management.
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Keywords:
catchment management, dryland, groundwater, hydrology, soils, spatial data
Sarah Preston
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Agriculture and Forestry, Information Technology
Research interests:
Animal health/Diagnostics/Livestock
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Vecchia Ravinandrasana
Institution:
Pusan National University
Location:
Outside Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
Extreme events dynamics and impacts
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Prof Lauren Rickards
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
Governance of drought risk, complex impacts and climate change adaptation. Lived experience and practical challenges of drought management across sectors and scales. Complexities of drought resilience,
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Keywords:
catchment management, agricultural policy, conservation, drought policy, gender, farming systems analysis, risk analysis, rural business resilience, supply chain, water policy, sustainable, climate
Prof Euan Ritchie
Institution:
Deakin University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
My group’s research spans diverse fields, including behavioural-, community-, population- and landscape-ecology, conservation biology, and wildlife management. Our work has a strong focus on investigating the significance of species interactions and ecological functions of mammals, fire, invasive species, human-wildlife conflict, large carnivores, mammal ecology and conservation, and ecosystem management. Our research is aimed at more effective environmental policy, management actions, and biodiversity conservation.
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Keywords:
biodiversity, communications, conservation, ecosystem services, policy, wildlife, ecosystem management, invasive species, climate change
Assoc Prof Belinda Robson
Institution:
Murdoch University
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Refuges from drought for freshwater animals and plants, drought effects on rivers, lakes and wetlands, adaptations to climate change for freshwater ecosystems, interactions between climate impacts and invasive species on biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems, conservation or rivers, lakes and wetlands, freshwater plants, algae, invertebrates, frogs, fish.
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Keywords:
biodiversity, catchment management, conservation, drought policy, ecosystem services, water policy
Vanessa Round
Institution:
CSIRO
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Climate Science), Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
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Dr Hassan Sardar
Institution:
Murdoch University
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Drought resilience through plant and soil based innovative approaches
ORCID:
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, carbon, communications, soils, climate, cropping
Prof Jacki Schirmer
Institution:
The University of Canberra
Location:
ACT
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Medicine and Health
Research interests:
My work focuses on the intersection between human wellbeing and environmental change, particularly climate change adaptation, adapting to changing access to natural resources, and resilience to natural hazards including drought.
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Keywords:
rural business resilience, agricultural policy, drought policy, regenerative agriculture, community resilience, climate change adaptation
Dr Sabine Schmoelzl
Institution:
CSIRO
Location:
New South Wales
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
In my role as Principal Research Scientist and Group Leader for Smart, Sustainable Livestock Systems with CSIRO Agriculture and Food based in Armidale, I lead research in sustainable livestock production, focussing on developing novel approaches to complex industry problems, and using on-animal sensor technologies to assess livestock behaviours and metabolic activity. My projects are based on inter-disciplinary research investigating strategies to improve reproductive efficiency, increase drought resilience of Australian livestock production, and to develop novel biomarkers for meat quality.
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Keywords:
farming systems analysis, sustainable, beef, lamb, livestock, farm operations, spatial data, remote sensing
Dr Amanda Scott
Institution:
Southern Cross University
Location:
Prefer not to say
Discipline:
Business, Agriculture and Forestry, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
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Keywords:
business strategy, knowledge brokering, innovation assessment, sustainable, visualisation, climate, climate change, network analysis, strategic planning, impact evaluation, collaboration and networks
Angelina Siegrist
Institution:
Australian National University
Location:
ACT, Victoria, New South Wales
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
I work in biodiversity conservation, with a particular interest in working on private land and in agricultural areas to identify win win opportunities for production and native biodiversity. I really enjoy working in extension, taking our research to the paddock to empower those managing the land to make informed decisions.
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Kara Simpson
Institution:
The University of Adelaide
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Humanities and Social Sciences, Other (please describe), Medicine and Health
Research interests:
I am broadly researching adaptive design for community resilience in places of uncertainty.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
drought policy, mental health, health, communications, women, men, climate change, ecology, dryland, risk analysis, visualisation, innovation assessment, climate, knowledge brokering, weather, adaptation; adaptability; remote communities; habitation; extreme environments; public space; commons; shared experiences;
Prof Helen Suter
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Broadly, in the drought space, my research interest is in diverse pastures for drought resilience, with a focus on the dairy industry. I am interest in the ecosystem outcomes (soil health, soil carbon and nitrogen, water use efficiency) associated with this drought resilience as well as the production and profitability.
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Keywords:
carbon, dairy, soils, pasture, diverse pastures
Dr Dean Thomas
Institution:
CSIRO
Location:
Western Australia
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
I lead the Sustainable Livestock Systems team in CSIRO, and carry out field research and whole farm modelling of new technologies and management interventions. Areas of focus include livestock nutrition, grazing systems and the seasonal feedbase. We also study supply chain credentials, and the development of reporting metrics that can support accreditation.
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Prof Helen Thompson
Institution:
Federation University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Information Technology, Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
Distinguished Professor Helen Thompson is Director of the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI) at Federation University Australia. Her research is focused on advancing digital innovation and data interoperability to support agriculture, natural resource management, climate adaptation, and regional development.
Helen is recognised for her strategic leadership in co-designed research, fostering collaborations across academia, government, and industry. Her work has contributed to improved decision-making, policy development, and resilience in rural and regional communities. With over two decades of experience, she continues to drive interdisciplinary research that delivers real-world impact.
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Keywords:
biodiversity, carbon, broad-acre, catchment management, visualisation, sustainable, cropping, dryland, farming systems analysis, groundwater, knowledge brokering, rural business resilience, soils, spatial data, supply chain, regenerative agriculture, Digital Innovation Data Interoperability Agricultural Informatics Natural Resource Management Climate Adaptation Regional Development Collaborative Research Spatial Data Infrastructure
Simon Torok
Institution:
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Research interests:
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Keywords:
communications, visualisation, knowledge brokering, science communication
Prof Deborah Turnbull
Institution:
The University of Adelaide
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Medicine and Health, Other (please describe)
Research interests:
Psychological preparedness for extreme weather
ORCID:
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Keywords:
knowledge brokering, psychology programs
Assoc Prof Yichao Wang
Institution:
RMIT
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology), Other (please describe)
Research interests:
My research explores functional nanomaterial-enabled agricultural applications to enhance plant stress tolerance. I am particularly interested in developing nanopriming strategies to prepare crops for future stresses and investigating how nanomaterials can mitigate drought and other abiotic stressors. This work aims to integrate cutting-edge nanotechnology with sustainable crop management to improve resilience and productivity in the face of climate challenges.
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Keywords:
carbon, energy, drought policy, farm operations, horticulture, renewable, water policy, vegetables
Dr Arif Watto
Institution:
CSIRO Environment
Location:
ACT
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
Water trade-offs and socio-hydrology, water economics, water use efficiency and managemnet
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, conservation, cropping
Prof Sarah Wheeler
Institution:
Flinders University
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Economics, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
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Dr Jennifer Wood
Institution:
La Trobe University
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (other)
Research interests:
My research interest revolves around advancing and validating ecological theories to deepen our understanding of microbial community ecology. I am particularly focused on understanding soil microbial traits, which are the distinctive abilities possessed by each microbial species. These traits encompass both physical and functional aspects, playing a vital role in microbial survival and offering valuable insights into soil health. For instance, traits such as extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) production contribute to soil aggregation, while antibiotic production influences the dynamics of community competition.
The development of theories that can predict the assembly of microbial communities exhibiting key traits can inform the sustainable management of natural and agricultural ecosystems. This understanding is crucial for fostering ecosystem resilience and optimizing ecosystem services.
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, carbon, broad-acre, conservation, ecosystem services, soils, regenerative agriculture, hydrology
Maree Wright
Institution:
The Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
Location:
ACT
Discipline:
Research interests:
ORCID:
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Keywords:
knowledge brokering, conservation, drought policy, Invasive Species
Keren Wu
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry
Research interests:
My research focuses on the soil-plant microbial functions and stability under drought stress.
ORCID:
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Keywords:
biodiversity, carbon, cropping, dryland, methane, soils
Dr Ying Xu
Institution:
Flinders University
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Economics, Natural Sciences (Climate Science)
Research interests:
My research interest is on the impacts of drought and climate on the regional economy in rural areas, and on farmers' economic return and wellbeing, as well as the adaptations and adoptions of techonologies to mitigate the impacts of drought, and increase the social wellbeing in rural area.
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, broad-acre, biodiversity, cropping, dairy, drought policy, dryland, water policy, irrigation, horticulture, sustainable, carbon, rural business resilience, livestock, productivity, spatial data, farm finance, catchment management
Lisa Yorkston
Institution:
The University of New England
Location:
New South Wales, Queensland
Discipline:
Research interests:
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Dr Pangzhen Zhang
Institution:
The University of Melbourne
Location:
Victoria
Discipline:
Agriculture and Forestry, Natural Sciences (Environmental Science / Biology)
Research interests:
Biofertiliser for horticultural plants (fruits producing plants) & Root-soil-microbe interaction of grapevine
Microbial terroir reflects the diversity of microorganisms in different vineyards across grapevine growing regions. Vineyard microorganisms can regulate grapevine physiology through interaction with the root system, eventually finding their way to the fermentation tank and influencing the winemaking process. My team investigates the impacts of different rootstock systems on grapevine physiology and their interaction with rhizosphere microorganisms. We further isolate and identify key microorganisms from vineyard soil and investigate their functionality in regulating grape growth, and tolerance to drought and salinity. These microorganisms would be further developed into biofertilizers to benefit grape growers.
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Prof Alec Zuo
Institution:
Flinders University
Location:
South Australia
Discipline:
Economics, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
Research interests:
I am a professor and ARC Future Fellow in the College of Business, Government and Law (CBGL), Flinders University. I am affiliated with the Centre for Social Impact and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training at Flinders University. I am also a member of the Water, Environment and Food economics policy group in CBGL. I am an applied economist specialising in agricultural, environmental, and resource economics. My research has contributed significantly to understanding the impact of climate change and resources on irrigation farming, farmer adaptation strategies, and market-based instruments for water resource management.
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Keywords:
agricultural policy, biodiversity, carbon, drought policy, conservation, catchment management, emissions, income contingent loans, regenerative agriculture, water policy, rural business resilience, irrigation
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