Bio

I’m currently based at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University, where my research is focused on developing models of fuel loads and fuel moisture content. This research is part of the NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub. I collaborate with colleagues from the University of Wollongong’s Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires. This research is building on a prior post-doc position where we examined the role of fuel moisture in the occurrence of large wildfires.

I previously worked as a post-doc at the University of Technology Sydney. My research was mainly focused on understanding plant water use strategies in semi-arid Australia, with the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Group. I also worked with the Centre for Compassionate Conservation, where we examined the risks posed by natural disturbances to carbon offset projects.

I received my PhD from The University of Melbourne in 2013. My research with the Forests and Water Group quantified changes to forest water use (evapotranspiration) and subsequent streamflow following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.

Prior to my PhD I worked as a consultant ecologist / botanist. Much of my work focused on environmental impact assessments for water supply infrastructure and housing developments in Melbourne’s growth areas. We also developed ecological burn plans for remnant vegetation within a peri-urban municipality.

I graduated from Monash University in 2004 with an honours degree in Environmental Science. I then worked as a research assistant at Monash University, where we investigated the time taken for revegetated areas to start providing habitat and foraging resources. We also investigated declines in the health of river red gums along the length of the Murray River.