Associate Professor Bryan J Boruff

Associate Professor Bryan J Boruff is a researcher at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment at The University of Western Australia (UWA). Bryan’s expertise is in the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies to the study of environmental hazards and climate change impacts. Over the past decade, Bryan’s research interests have expanded to encompass a range of environmental management issues in agricultural production, population health, urban planning and sustainable livelihoods. He has extensive experience working in developing nations in multidisciplinary settings with academic, private and government stakeholders.

Dr. Caitlin Moore

Dr. Caitlin Moore is a Lecturer at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment. She is a leading researcher in ecosystem processes, focusing on how native and managed ecosystems function from leaf to landscape scale. Caitlin’s work involves improving measurement infrastructure for faster monitoring of ecosystems in Western Australia, enhancing bioenergy sustainability, and advancing food security. Caitlin is also a regional ambassador for Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), supported by the federal government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). She has collaborated with senior scholars globally, leading to significant advancements in her field. She continues to contribute to the understanding of ecosystem response to climate variability.

Professor Jason Beringer

Professor Jason Beringer a researcher at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, is a global leader in understanding how ecosystems respond to climate change. He has developed the LEAPI group, a multidisciplinary team studying the Australian terrestrial biosphere’s response to climate and land use change. His work focuses on major ecosystem cycles of carbon and water that provide crucial tools for sustainable landscape management. His research excellence is demonstrated by his significant contributions to policy-relevant questions about the future impacts of change.  He is a founder and continued leader of NCRIS Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network and the Australian Flux tower network (OzFlux).

Dr. Jim McCallum

Dr. Jim McCallum, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Earth Sciences, is a global research leader in the quantification of groundwater systems and their interactions. His current work includes the representation of faults in groundwater assessment and determining historic recharge variation using environmental tracers. His research interests include environmental tracer techniques and the development of numerical methods. His research excellence is demonstrated by his significant contributions to understanding surface water and groundwater interaction, providing crucial insights for sustainable water management.

Dr. John Duncan

Dr. John Duncan, a Research Fellow at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment. John’s research field is in geospatial software development, remote sensing, and GIS. His research focuses on using satellite images and other socio-economic, climatic, and environmental datasets to monitor and detect change in agricultural and urban landscapes. He has developed the Advanced Spatial Analysis unit, teaching students' geospatial data science skills. His collaborations span across research, government, not-for-profit, and private sectors, with experience in Australia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Pacific Island Countries. He also delivers GIS and geospatial data analysis training for various audiences.  

Dr. Natasha Pauli

Dr. Natasha Pauli is a Senior Lecturer at UWA School of Agriculture and Environment. A research leader in human-environment interactions and biodiversity management, she has a rich background in environmental science and conservation policy. Her interdisciplinary research integrates scientific data and local knowledge, focusing on the relationships between people and the ecological resources that sustain them. Her work aims to demonstrate positive ways for people to integrate nature and ecosystem processes into functioning urban, rural, and coastal systems.

Dr. Qiaoyun Xie

Dr. Qiaoyun Xie, a Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, The University of Western Australia, is a global research leader in vegetation dynamics monitoring using remote sensing and GIS. Her lab’s research provides solutions that help humanity adapt to reliance on plants for food, fuel, and clean air. Qiaoyun’ s significant contributions to this field are evidenced through her publication record in prestigious journals and textbooks, and her leadership in several multidisciplinary research collaborations. She has also developed Australia’s first vegetation phenology products at 500m resolution using satellite data. Her ultimate aim is to prepare for biogeography in future climates.

Dr. Sarah Bourke

Dr. Sarah Bourke is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia. As a Hydrogeologist, she specialises in environmental tracers and surface water-groundwater interaction. She coordinates the Master of Hydrogeology program and has a demonstrated capacity to deliver high-quality outcomes through collaborative research projects. She is a passionate advocate for Hydrogeology practice, research, and training, with a focus on understanding responses of groundwater systems to changes in climate and human groundwater use. She is the Vice Chair of the Western Australian chapter of IAH and the Regional Vice-President for Australasia and the Pacific.

Dr. Sharyn Hickey

Dr. Sharyn Hickey is a Senior Lecturer at the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, specializing in spatial ecology and geospatial sciences applied to marine and coastal environments. Her research utilizes remote sensing and geospatial models to investigate environmental change, with a focus on monitoring benthic marine and coastal vegetation. Dr. Hickey has spearheaded numerous multidisciplinary collaborations aimed at monitoring and detecting changes in marine habitats, including mangroves, macroalgae, seagrass, and coral reefs. She places particular emphasis on Western Australia's shallow and coastal marine ecosystems, leading ongoing projects to map mangroves and intertidal habitats, study marine habitat changes along the coast, and assess their relationship with fisheries. Additionally, Dr. Hickey investigates the impact of heatwaves on marine habitats and associated fisheries. Through her research, Dr. Hickey contributes valuable insights to the understanding of marine and coastal ecosystems, informing sustainable management practices for coastal regions.

Andi Laidlaw
Data Entry Assistant
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Andi Laidlaw is a Data Entry Assistant at the Centre for Water and Spatial Science working on training an artificial intelligence model to classify intermittently open and closed water bodies along the southwest coast of WA. Ms. Laidlaw, who is from Colorado, USA, holds a BSc in Marine Biology from James Cook University and an MSc in Environmental Science from UWA, specializing in sensing and spatial data science. At CWSS, Ms Laidlaw has mapped flood patterns and quantified associated riverbank erosion for the Fitzroy River in the West Kimberley region of WA by comparing historical and modern aerial imagery. She is currently designing vertical drone surveys for vegetation growing on cliff faces in the Pilbara region of WA.

Amy Stone
Graduate Research Assistant
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Amy Stone is a research assistant in the Centre for Water and Spatial Science. Her research interests are using remote sensing technologies to study marine and coastal habitats, in particular the development of robust methods through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Recent research projects have focused on the use of satellite and drone data in monitoring coastal habitats such as mangroves, saltmarsh, and coral reefs.

Ana Catarina Limede Dos Santos Silva Singh
Casual Teaching & Associate Lecturer
School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Andrew Van de ven
Senior Technician
School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Dr Bonny Stutsel
Research Fellow
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Dr Bonny Stutsel is a research fellow at Centre for Water & Spatial Science where she contributes her experience to improving farm water security through the WaterSmart Dams project. She thrives on collaboration, bridging the gap between science and real-world needs to develop practical tools and strategies. This year, Dr Stutsel is excited to see WaterSmart Dams launch a farm water planning app to equip growers with the knowledge for informed water management.

Brendan Busch
Senior Research Engineer
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Brendan Busch is a Senior Research Engineer for the Aquatic EcoDynamics (AED) Research group at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Mr Busch’s primary focus is on data engineering and visualisation of complex numerical models. In his current capacity, Mr Busch is tasked with designing and creating data and model analytics solutions for environmental assessment. His specialization lies in MATLAB, but he also utilizes a variety of languages and platforms within the realm of analytics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Mr Busch also works with the Western Australia Marine Science Institute (WAMSI) as the technical lead in the development of the Shared Environmental Analytical Facility (SEAF)—a cloud-based platform that facilitates the sharing and curation of environmental data for industry stakeholders and regulators being designed in conjunction with Microsoft, PwC and other industry leading players.

Bridget Beesley
Senior GIS Analyst
School of Population and Global Health, Population and Public Health

Bridget Beesley is a Senior GIS Analyst in the School of Population and Global Health at UWA.  She has extensive experience in Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis where she advises researchers on the use of spatial data and technology to support their research outcomes.Ms Beesley has worked on a variety of research projects investigating the impact of the built environment on health. She has contributed to multidisciplinary international research projects, providing technical guidance and overseeing the implementation, validation, and analysis of complex spatial data in a variety of software platforms across multiple projects. 

Casper Boon
Software Engineer
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Cecil Ellis
Casual Teaching
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Dr Clelia Marti
Senior Lecturer
School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Dr Clelia Marti has over twenty years' experience in lake hydrology research, including reservoir and other water body hydrodynamic and bathymetric mathematical modelling. Her more recent research examines macrophyte (aquatic plant) roles and the impact of water column stratification on lake dynamics.

Emily Kelly
Research Assistant
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Emily Kelly is a University of Western Australia graduate (2023) holding a Bachelor of Science with Double Major in Environmental Science and Management. After completing a 3-month Internship at the Centre of Water and Spatial Science, Ms Kelly continued her work with the WaterSmart Dams project, joining the Centre as a Graduate Research Officer. Her research focuses on modelling water loss dynamics from farm dam systems throughout the WA Wheatbelt and using this knowledge to generate predictive tools for water management and planning.

Kerry Bardot
Casual Teaching
School of Earth Sciences

Dr Konrad Miotlinski
Research Fellow
School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Dr Konrad Miotlinski has a Master’s degree in Geology (2002) and PhD in Earth Sciences (2008) from University of Silesia, Poland. Experienced in applied water resources and quality investigation projects to facilitate drinking water provision across Europe, Australia and South America. In Australia he has been involved in numerous projects on freshwater storage in aquifers. Konrad believes that a carefully selected combination of field and lab experiments along with numerical modelling approaches is a key to improve management of freshwater resources. He widely uses computer techniques in teaching and research.

Jessie Ellis
Research Assistant
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Jessie Ellis is a Graduate Research Officer working with the Centre for Water and Spatial Science on the WaterSmart Dams project. Ms Ellis graduated from UWA in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Environmental Science and Human Geography and Planning. Ms Ellis analyses surface water hydrology at designated sites equipped with runoff-enhancing equipment. She generates critical data using coding techniques and provides insightful explanations for the collected data. Additionally, her role encompasses fieldwork where she collects data, services the sites, and actively engages with farmers and other stakeholders involved in the project.

Malvina Chmielarski
Research Fellow
School of Earth Sciences

Malvina Chmielarski, a Research Fellow at the School of Earth Sciences, Malvina’s PhD thesis focused on quantifying long-term groundwater recharge in transient environments using environmental tracer data. She applied novel groundwater age interpretation methods to data collected from the Pilbara region in northwestern Australia. Her collaboration with various mine companies aims to inform sustainable groundwater management practices in the Pilbara. Currently, Malvina is part of a team investigating the influence of faults as both barriers and conduits to groundwater flow. Their research aims to better incorporate complex geologies into groundwater models. These findings will directly impact the Perth regional groundwater model, a crucial tool for determining groundwater usage in the city of Perth.

Dr Maryam Abdolahpour
Research Fellow
UWA Oceans Institute

Dr Maryam Abdolahpour is a Research Fellow at the UWA Oceans Institute and a member of the Oceans Graduate School. Her research spans a broad spectrum of hydraulics and experimental fluid dynamics, with a specific focus on turbulence, mixing, and transport in both steady and wave-driven flows. Dr. Abdolahpour’s expertise extends to fluid-roughness interactions, sediment transport, scour protection, coastal processes, wave-current interactions, and physical modeling of complex systems.

She employs a diverse range of tools to advance her research, including analytical methods, numerical simulations, and advanced laboratory techniques. These techniques encompass both intrusive (such as Particle Image Velocimetry, or PIV) and non-intrusive (such as Particle Tracking Velocimetry, or PTV) methods. Dr. Abdolahpour’s work contributes to our understanding of fluid dynamics and its practical applications in marine and coastal environments.

Dr Peisheng Huang
Research Fellow
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Dr Peisheng Huang is a water scientist and water quality modeller. His research interests include water ecosystem modelling, restoration and management of degraded aquatic ecosystems, and biogeochemistry processes in freshwater and oceans. He has extensive experience developing and applying numerical models and using the models to assess ecosystem health and resilience, in both research and industrial consultancy fields. Dr Huang co-authored the decision support framework eBook published by UWA, Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment, and has most recently focused on the Cockburn Sound Westport project. He works with the Aquatic Ecodynamic (AED) group to develop models and applications.

Roberto Lujan Rocha
Senior Research Officer
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Roberto Lujan Rocha is a Senior Research Officer and PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia, where his affiliation with the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) and the Centre for Water and Spatial Science reflects his dedication to sustainable agriculture. Mr. Lujan Rocha's research leverages technology to improve weed management practices, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future for our planet. His interests are centred on the use of geographical information systems, remote sensing, and machine learning.

Mr. Lujan Rocha is currently engaged in projects that are exploring ways to improve water quality to enhance the effectiveness of herbicides and devising innovative remote sensing techniques for identifying and forecasting weed distributions across extensive farming areas in Western Australia.

Sherry Zhai
Research Officer
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Sherry Zhai is an ecologist and environmental scientist. Her research interests stem from the desire to understand how environmental processes influence the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and to employ a multidisciplinary approach to provide insights for management strategies amidst the challenges posed by climate and land-use changes. Drawing on her expertise in conservation biology and environmental modelling, she has worked on a variety of projects spanning diverse ecosystems with a primary focus on aquatic habitat modelling.

Dr Simone Gelsinari
Research Associate
School of Engineering, Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Dr Simone Gelsinari is a research fellow at the Centre for Water and Spatial Science, having joined UWA at the end of 2020 after completing a joint PhD with Monash University and CSIRO Land & Water. With an international background in Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering (University of Pisa - Italy), his experience spans hydrology, numerical modelling, field data collection, quantitative hydrology, remote sensing and model-data fusion techniques. He is passionate about water and its sustainable management in the natural and built environment, and currently leads the UWA arm of the collaborative research project, Recharge Estimation in a Changing Climate.

Stanley Mastrantonis
Research Associate
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Dr Stanley Mastrantonis has applied experience with remote sensing, machine learning, decision tool development, and precision agriculture. He completed his PhD on geospatial modelling with UWA and Alcoa Australia, focusing on land-use optimisation for the Northern Jarrah Forrest. Dr Mastrantonis’s first post-doctoral appointment was at the Centre for Crop Disease Management at Curtin, focusing on precision agriculture and farm water demand, where he was involved in the Regional Drought Resilience Plan, On-Farm Experimentation, and On-Farm Water Demand research collaborations. Now at UWA, Dr Mastrantonis collaborates with AIMS and DPIRD on remote sensing applications for monitoring coastal environments. He has a passion for computer vision, geospatial analysis and software.

Storm Findlay-Cooper
Research Officer
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Storm Findlay-Cooper is an environmental scientist serving as a Research Officer at the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), UWA. Readily lending her expertise to diverse projects within UWA, Ms Findlay-Cooper demonstrates her versatility and proactive approach to challenges and meticulously prepares for and engages in fieldwork across various sites in Western Australia. She conducts essential maintenance and data collection tasks, including ascending towers up to 45 meters tall to access instruments measuring carbon and water fluxes above the tree canopy. Ms Findlay-Cooper manages and reports on various data, coordinates project logistics, collaborates with partners such as CSIRO, DBCA, DPIRD, and the GGA, and will turn her hand to any task from mapping drone data or laboratory analysis to building pontoons.

Warin Chotirosniramit
Analyst
UWA School of Agriculture and Environment

Warin Chotirosniramit is a research analyst specialising in the application of GIS and machine learning to extract insights from remotely sensed data. His focus lies in leveraging the combination of spatial science and artificial intelligence to address challenges related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Mr Chotirosniramit is researching the use of cutting-edge computer vision models for classifying residential (re)development types from high-resolution aerial imagery, laying the foundation for further investigations into how different forms of residential (re)development influence urban heat patterns and offering valuable insights for shaping urban planning strategies aimed at creating cooler cities amidst a warming climate.