Meet our Team

Centre Director: Prof Helen Thompson

Professor Thompson commenced as CeRDI Director in 2002. Under Helen's leadership, CeRDI has become one of Federation University Australia's most successful research centres, establishing a reputation for excellence at the regional, national and international level. As CeRDI Director, Helen focuses on:

• The application of information and communications technology (ICT) and the development of innovative, world class knowledge management systems;
• Significantly advancing the digital literacy and knowledge management capabilities and capacity of partner organisations;
• Fostering the development and implementation of eResearch within industry, government and academia; and
• Measuring the impact of eResearch and digital innovation through longitudinal research.

CeRDI has established a strong reputation for excellence having facilitated significant research funding and partnerships on substantial research projects and the formation of more than 100 long-term partnerships with industry, government, other universities and across the local and wider community and region. CeRDI research income represents approximately one-quarter of total Federation University research income.

Helen has accepted numerous awards for innovative initiatives undertaken by CeRDI. She is an active leader across of the University community and a member on various University and community linked committees and organisations. Helen provides university wide leadership for eResearch and is involved in a range of activities which contribute to the economic and social development of regional and rural Australia.

Helen is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre .

Call: 03 5327 9418
Email: h.thompson@federation.edu.au

Principal Research Fellow: Assoc Prof Peter Dahlhaus

Peter's career spans 40 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. Peter is well-known as a science communicator by his students and community groups, 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.

Peter is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre , and an Associate Member of Federation University's Centre for Smart Analytics .

Call: 03 5341 3994
Email: p.dahlhaus@federation.edu.au

Professor Environmental Accounting: Prof Francisco Ascui

Francisco is an internationally recognised expert in environmental accounting, finance and risk management. He has a PhD in carbon accounting, an MBA and an MSc in Environmental Change and Management. He worked for ten years in international energy and carbon markets before moving into academia in 2009. At the University of Edinburgh Business School between 2009 and 2014 he co-founded and directed the Centre for Business and Climate Change and developed the world’s first MSc in Carbon Finance. In 2015 his work on carbon accounting was identified by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as one of 50 landmark research contributions over the last 50 years and in recent years he has pioneered the development of a standardised methodology for natural capital risk assessment .

Email: ff.ascui@federation.edu.au

Senior Research Fellow: Dr Nathan Robinson

Nathan joined the CeRDI team in 2017 after working in soil and landscape analysis for the Victorian government for over 18 years. Nathan has led numerous regional land resource projects in Victoria for the Corangamite, Wimmera and Goulburn Broken CMA regions. More recently, Nathan has been a lead researcher in the use of proximal sensors and rapid sensing techniques in the assessment of soil properties and links to crop yield.

Nathan has an Applied Science Degree from the University of Ballarat with Honours in Geology (1999). Nathan completed his PhD at Federation University in 2016 with his research focused around digital soil mapping. Nathan has served in advisory roles to Catchment Management Authorities and is an active member of the Geomorphology Reference Group of Victoria. Recent publication awards include the 2016 Best Research Paper for the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. Nathan is currently focused on the advancement of spatial analysis to better understand the links of soil to agricultural production systems.

Nathan is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre , and an Associate Member of Federation University's Centre for Smart Analytics .

Call: 03 5327 8436
Email: n.robinson@federation.edu.au

Senior Research Fellow: Dr Birgita Hansen

Birgita is leading CeRDI research and partner projects in environmental science, natural resource management, citizen science and precision agriculture. She has extensive experience in ecology, environmental management and citizen science, with a strong focus on understanding the ecological response of birds to modification of their habitat. This has included studies of woodland birds in agricultural landscapes, and shorebird conservation, management and monitoring at local and continental scales. Birgita is leading a national scale citizen science monitoring program The Latham’s Snipe Project . She is a member of the BirdLife Australia Research and Conservation Committee and Vice Chair of the Australasian Wader Studies Group. Birgita leads the CeRDI research team and represents the centre on the Graduate Research School  board and in this capacity, a member of the Ararat Jobs and Technology Precinct HDR advisory group.

Birgita is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre .

Call: 03 5327 9952
Email: b.hansen@federation.edu.au

Senior Research Fellow: Dr Alison Ollerenshaw

Alison has been employed in various research support and coordination roles during her academic career and is experienced in project management. She has skills in designing and conducting research that incorporates qualitative and quantitative research methods. Since joining CeRDI in 2012 Alison has been involved in Centre research, and assists in promoting CeRDI-wide research, through coordination of the quarterly newsletter. In 2016, Alison returned to full-time study and completed her PhD in which she conducted research into the relationship between business incubator services and tenants’ positive psychological constructs. Alison is now working in CeRDI on various projects and is supporting the impact research for projects within CeRDI’s collaborative research programmes.

Alison is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Health Innovation and Transformation Centre .

Call: 03 5327 6201
Email: a.ollerenshaw@federation.edu.au

Research Fellow: Dr Benedikt Fest

Ben was appointed as a CeRDI research coordinator in 2021. Ben has over ten years research experience working in the field of ecosystem ecology. Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Ecology. Ben completed a PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2013, investigating the processes controlling soil methane exchange in Australian forest ecosystems. Ben was employed as a post-doctoral research fellow with the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences at the University of Melbourne investigating drivers of spatial variability in soil and ecosystem greenhouse gas exchange processes in forest and agricultural systems across Australia. Ben will apply his research skills and discipline knowledge to conduct research management and associated activities in CeRDI on various projects including Online Farms Trials.

Email: b.fest@federation.edu.au

Research Fellow: Dr Aakansha Chadha

Aakansha joined CeRDI in October 2022, having worked within the field of ecology and invasive plant management. Her PhD research focused on understanding the ecology of an invasive plant species and deriving management strategies (from field work conducted in tropical north Queensland). Her PhD is from Federation University, Australia in collaboration with Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and MSc from Mumbai University in Botany and plant biotechnology. Aakansha is looking forward to applying her research skills and discipline knowledge to conduct research and associated activities in CeRDI on various projects including Online Farms Trials.

Email: a.chadha@federation.edu.au

Research Fellow: Dr Alicia Reynolds

Alicia brings a wide range of analytical chemistry experience to the CeRDI team. Alicia developed GC-MS/MS methods during her honours year and continued working for consulting and research organisations as an analytical chemist until 2010. She then completed a PhD with CSIRO in degradation of amine absorbents during pilot scale post-combustion capture (PCC) of CO2 from coal fired power stations. Recent industry-led research projects include responsible uses of Victorian brown coal (eg, humic acid-based soil amendments, hydrogen and other materials), compost processing and contaminants management, and fish farm waste derived soil amendment development. Alicia's core interests include statistical methods for reducing large datasets to useful information, advanced analytical chemistry, and using research methods to solve real-world problems.

Alicia is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre .

Email: alicia.reynolds@federation.edu.au

Research Associate: Dr Carolyn Staines

Carolyn has more than 20 years’ experience in public health research. She completed her PhD in injury epidemiology at Monash University in 2013, and has contributed to a broad range of research projects in diverse fields including nursing practice, sports injuries, cancer epidemiology and drowning prevention.

Carolyn joined CeRDI in 2021 aiming to bring a broad set of quantitative and qualitative research skills to the Centre’s work.

Email: c.staines@federation.edu.au

Research Associate: Rick Pope

Rick has been associated with Federation University since 2000 and has been a lecturer during that time. He has been in collaboration with CeRDI since 2015 and has previously worked with the state government in many roles from 1972 to 2019. Rick completed a Graduate Diploma in Land Rehabilitation in 1998 at the University of Ballarat. Rick has extensive expertise in Geographic Information Systems and GPS and has worked with these technologies since their first appearance in Victoria. Rick has been the developer of many applications, some being turn key GIS applications for ESSO Australia, Keep Australia Beautiful and the Woady Yaloak Catchment Group. Rick has a close working relationship with local government, the spatial industry as well as Landcare networks in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. In his previous role in government and as a volunteer, Rick has proven skills in engaging stakeholders, collaboration and project management. In work with CeRDI, Rick has been involved with CMA Flood Portal development, Water Bugs website, Woady Yaloak 3CA pilot project and many others.

Email: r.pope@federation.edu.au

Research Associate: Richard MacEwan

Richard MacEwan is a soil scientist who carried out teaching and research on soils and land management in Victoria for 28 years before retiring in 2017. Richard has a BSc in Ecology from Edinburgh University (1973) and a MSc in Pedology and Soil Survey (Reading University 1986). Richard's Australian research began at Rutherglen Research Institute with a focus on subsoil drainage, waterlogging and soil structure management. This was followed by a 10-year stint coordinating the Graduate Diploma in Land Rehabilitation at the University of Ballarat (now Federation University). The time at Ballarat was seminal with many advances made by working in partnership with Peter Dahlhaus focussing on landscape hydrology, land degradation and land management. Returning to the Victorian Department in 2001 Richard worked with Nathan Robinson and others on soil and land survey, soil health and soil information. Richard has in depth understanding of soil quality and soil health as it relates to pedology, landscapes and land management practices. Richard lives on a small rural property near Bendigo on soils derived from the Harcourt granodiorite where he battles with rabbits and weeds on his mission to leave the land more ecologically enchanting than when he moved there in 2003. Richard was coaxed out of retirement in a part-time capacity by Peter Dahlhaus to help define practical applications of the data accessible through the Visualising Australasia’s Soils (VAS).

Data Policy Manager: Gabi Ceregra

Gabi is a Data Policy Manager, developing best practice data management policies for the Food Agility CRC and NFF project.

She brings with her experience in data management across health, financial services, and government. Managing small and large scale data projects and operational data governance teams has provided her with insight into how data is created, managed, and used across global organisations, and the risk management and regulatory requirements that need to be considered to create sustainable and scalable data eco-systems.

Gabriela holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Management (Hons) from Victoria University of Wellington, is a PMBOK certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certified Agile Scrum Master.

Email: g.ceregra@federation.edu.au

Research Project Officer: Leenath Wimukthi Gamage

Leenath Wimukthi Gamage recently joined Federation University as a Research Project Officer, bringing with him a diverse background in both academia and industry. Prior to his current role, he worked as a laboratory technician specializing in gold analysis in the mining industry for two years. Now, he contributes his expertise across three research centers: the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI), the Future Regions Research Centre (FRRC), and the Ararat Jobs and Technology Precinct (AJTP).

At AJTP, Leenath provides crucial support to the research team focused on the 'Grain Traceability for Collaborative Innovation, Value Addition and Return on Investment' project. This DFAT-funded project aims to make the region's agricultural sector a model for Australian economic development.

Beyond this project, Leenath contributes to other ongoing research initiatives at AJTP and geospatial research projects at CeRDI. His work aligns with CeRDI's focus on knowledge management, spatial research, and the implementation of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) data principles.

This diverse research engagement allows Leenath to leverage his academic background, which includes a bachelor’s degree in agriculture (specializing in soil science) from the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka (2016) and a master's degree in GIS and Remote Sensing from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2018). He also brings nearly four years of experience as a Lecturer and Assistant Director of the Department of Agriculture in Sri Lanka.

Research interests:

• Geospatial Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture
• Optimizing Agricultural Practices through Data-Driven Insights
• Promoting Innovation and Collaboration in the Agri-Food Sector

Email: l.wimukthigamage@federation.edu.au
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1445-2915 

Manager Technical Projects: Andrew MacLeod

Andrew is the Manager, Technical Projects at CeRDI.  Andrew completed a Bachelor of Computing at the University of Ballarat, followed by an Honors in Applied Science (Information Technology). Employed at CeRDI since 1999 and leading the technical team since 2002, Andrew has extensive experience in web and geospatial technologies with a particular interest in data standards and interoperability applied in projects such as Visualising Victorias Groundwater (VVG) and Visualising Australasia's Soils (VAS). While much of his work is applied within Australia, Andrew has been an active participant in several Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) domain working groups, standards working groups and interoperability experiments across Soils, Groundwater and Environmental data. Currently enrolled as a PhD candidate supported by the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre, focused on the application of semantic interoperability within Agriculture and Food.  

Andrew commenced his PhD with CeRDI in June 2021.

Call: 03 5327 9315
Email: a.macleod@federation.edu.au

Senior Systems Analyst Programmer: Paul Feely

Paul joined CeRDI in 2003 and has over 10 years' experience in both front end and back end development utilising various open source technologies. Recent major projects as a lead developer include Waterwatch Victoria, EstuaryWatch Victoria, Online Farm Trials and Sport and Recreation Spatial. Paul completed his Bachelor of Computing/Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Ballarat in 2001, and completed his Honours in Computing during 2003 while working part-time with CeRDI.

Call: 03 5327 6157
Email: p.feely@federation.edu.au

Senior Programmer: Heath Gillett

Heath joined CeRDI in 2009. After receiving a full-time scholarship, he completed a Bachelor of Computing at the University of Ballarat in 1999. After three years working on application development and support for a multi-national company based in Melbourne, he returned to Ballarat to provide IT support at Telstra. Heath has experience in the design, programming, implementation and support of various IT systems.

Call: 03 5327 9362
Email: h.gillett@federation.edu.au

Systems Analyst Programmer: Richard Archer

Richard has studied Computer Science at The University of Melbourne and Federation University, Horticulture at Federation University and completed a Permaculture Design course with Bill Mollison. His applied experience is extensive and includes stakeholder engagement, requirements gathering, project management, programming, server administration, and excellent written, interpersonal and communication skills.

Email: r.archer@federation.edu.au

Senior Systems Analyst Programmer: Michael Brown

Michael joined CeRDI in 2022. A former Bachelor of Computing graduate at the University of Ballarat in 2000, Michael went on to a career in web application development, Network support and server SRE operations. He has worked in a diverse range of industries including email/network security orgs, web/eCommerce digital agencies and real estate technology startups.

Email: michaelj.brown@federation.edu.au

Senior Systems Analyst Programmer: Indika Sirimanna

Indika joined the CeRDI team as a Senior Systems Analyst Programmer in 2024. Before this Indika worked as a Senior Software Engineer at the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, where he developed software applications in various domains, including IoT, the maritime industry, and brainwave monitoring systems for the hospitality sector. Indika's experience in these areas has equipped him with a strong foundation in programming and systems design. Throughout Indika's career he has acquired skills in system development, implementation of IoT devices, and web-based tools for maritime activities. These skills have been instrumental in addressing real-world challenges and improving efficiency within various systems. Indika is particularly passionate about leveraging technology to create innovative solutions that enhance operational performance. In addition to Indika's technical expertise, he is interested in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Indika believes that AI has the potential to transform industries by automating processes, improving decision-making, and enabling smarter solutions. Indika actively seeks opportunities to integrate AI technologies into his projects, enhancing the capabilities of the systems that he develops. Indika completed a Bachelor of Technology in Software Technology in 2015 while working, and he earned his Master of Computer Science in 2020 from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura Sri Lanka. Indika's academic background, combined with his practical experience, has prepared him well for the challenges in the ever-evolving tech landscape. As Indika progresses in his career, he looks forward to contributing to innovative projects that push the boundaries of technology and drive positive change in society.

Email: i.sirimanna@federation.edu.au

Research Associate: Dr Chris Bahlo

Chris joined the CeRDI tech team after completing her PhD in 2021 as part of the Regional Universities Network Precision Agriculture Flagship. Her research is on data interoperability in precision agriculture. She has an honours degree in Information Technology, a Business degree and a diploma in Agricultural Science. Chris has previously worked in information technology, agriculture and business roles. 

Email: c.bahlo@federation.edu.au

Web Developer/Programmer: Sudeera Abeywickrema

Sudeera joined the CeRDI team as a Web Developer in 2013. Prior to joining CeRDI, Sudeera worked as the web administrator of the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. During his career he has gathered invaluable skills in web development and implementing web based tools for academic activities. Sudeera completed his Bachelor of Information Technology at the University of Colombo in 2008.

Call: 03 5327 6840
Email: s.abeywickrema@federation.edu.au

Web Developer/Programmer: Rahul Sinha

Rahul joined the CeRDI team as a Web Developer in 2021. Prior to joining CeRDI, Rahul worked as a software developer in a US based software company. Rahul has developed software applications in domains like Retail, Automobile, and Education. He has experience with various front, back-end technologies, and their trade-offs. Rahul completed master’s in information and technology at Swinburne University in 2020 from Melbourne.

Email: r.sinha@federation.edu.au

Web Developer: Craig Briody

Craig joined CeRDI in 2002. Prior to joining CeRDI, Craig worked in a Melbourne-based software company gaining valuable practical experience in the ICT sector. Craig works in the development and implementation of web-based projects as well as having experience in the development and delivery of client training programs. Craig completed a Bachelor of Computing at the University of Ballarat in 1999.

Call: 03 5327 9319
Email: c.briody@federation.edu.au

Technical Officer: Simon Shields

Simon came to CeRDI with a diverse education and employment history. He first completed a Bachelor of Applied Science at RMIT, with post graduate studies in photogrammetry and remote sensing. Simon started his career as a land surveyor, contributing to projects including the Savage River Tasmania Mining Survey and working on the Bass Strait ESSO Riggs, undertaking precise traversing. 

During the 1990’s, Simon returned to study and completed a Bachelor of Computer Science from Monash University. This led to a career as a software and systems engineer in which he was first employed at Monash University, then the Latrobe Regional Hospital. Simon has worked as a contractor with IBM and as a consultant and trainer with TUSC Computing Systems and Eirteic. 

Simon brings a range of programming and development skills and has recently been adding to these through his participation in the Federation TAFE Certificate IV in Cyber Security.

Email: simon.shields@federation.edu.au

HR Business Partner ARDC: Tamsin Wilson

Tamsin’s role as HR Business Partner for the Australian Research Data Comms (ARDC) is to build and manage a fit for purpose HR function to support the ARDC’s people and culture programs and processes now and into the future. Areas of focus include staff culture, performance, engagement, learning and development and workforce planning as well as day-to-day human resources functions and services.  This is done in partnership with Host Institutions which govern the overarching HR policies and employment conditions where ARDC staff are located.

Tamsin has a background in Human Resources that spans over 30 years across government and the not-for-profit sector. Her career has encompassed learning and development and organisational development specialist roles as well as broader HR leadership roles. At Deakin University, she successfully established a new university-wide staff learning and development program and worked with Academic and professional staff on a range of staff engagement and performance improvement programs. In local government she developed and implemented a new workforce planning framework to support the organisation to navigate its workforce needs and challenges. Her most recent role was with a not-for-profit organisation in Melbourne as People & Capability Manager where she expanded and improved the broader HR program. Tamsin moved to Ballarat relatively recently and is enjoying the benefits a regional lifestyle brings.

Email: tamsin.wilson@federation.edu.au
 

Program Manager: Robert Milne

Rob has worked in the natural resource management, environmental science and agriculture fields since 1993. Joining Federation University in 1997, Rob worked on a wide range of environmental research and consultancy projects as an Environmental Scientist for the Centre for Environmental Management. Rob joined CeRDI in 2013 and has worked on a range of knowledge management, data systems, and spatial applications in the agricultural and natural resource management sectors. Rob completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Management at Ballarat University College in 1992 and worked as a partner in the family farming business at Cavendish, Victoria. Rob has extensive experience in working with industry, all levels of government and community organisations on a wide range of natural resource management and agriculture issues. Rob has also developed specialist skills in spatial systems and data management.

ARDC (Planet) position: In this role, Rob is helping to enable national-scale infrastructure for environmental and earth science researchers, policymakers, decision-makers, and research data managers. Rob is identifying opportunities and facilitating stakeholder engagement to uplift FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data capabilities across the Planet Research Data Commons and partners. A significant component of the role is facilitating the co-design for establishing ‘trusted data and information supply chains’ for priority regional use cases. This includes collaborations between the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), national research infrastructures, state agencies, industry partners, Traditional Owners, universities, research institutions and researchers.

Call: 03 5327 9488
Email: r.milne@federation.edu.au

ARDC (Planet), CeRDI Research Fellow: Dr Megan Wong

Dr. Megan Wong is a Research Fellow specialising in Soil and Environmental Data (PhD in Soil Ecology, Monash University) with the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI). From 2024 to 2025, she is seconded to the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) part-time.

Megan leverages her expertise in collaborative problem-solving and leadership to enhance the use of environmental data for research and to address cross-domain challenges, focusing on improving the meaning of data to support its utility and appropriate reuse.

Megan actively participates in national and international cross-domain workshops and symposia. For instance, she co-chairs the Australian Vocabulary Special Interest Group and is on the CODATA Cross-Domain Interoperability Framework (CDIF) Technical Working Group in 2025.

Through ARDC Planet Commons, Megan focuses on strategy for adopting information standards to enhance FAIR data and utility (FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship)

Achievements with collaborators across academia, government and the private sector include:

• Policy and assessment tooling for enacting the FAIR Guiding Principles (Agricultural Research Data Federation);
• Soil data standards and their governance to enable data discovery and harmonisation (Australian National Soil Information System, Soil CRC Visualising Australia’s Soils systems);
• Collaboration on an Indigenous-led data project that addresses rights expression in metadata. 

Megan’s diverse collaborative outputs include policies, recommendations, and datasets for data harmonisation, such as vocabularies.

Megan is also an Associate Member of Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre .

Call: 03 5327 6536
Email: mr.wong@federation.edu.au

Project Manager (People): Jude Channon

Jude came to CeRDI as a Research Officer in 2017 after a 16 year career in the National Health Service in the UK which focussed on governance structures for both commissioner and provider health care services. She took a break from CeRDI to do similar governance work with a Primary Health Network (PHN) in Victoria and returned to CeRDI in 2019 to further her data governance, data management and user experience and engagement skills. In her current CeRDI role, Jude is working on the Enabling Soils Data project, a project in the Soil CRC which aims to deliver a cross-program, whole of Soil CRC, collaborative solution to data sharing and management and to make soil data generated through Soil CRC projects discoverable and reusable among the Soil CRC community. Jude is also an independent consultant for Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in New Zealand where she provides research data management assessment and strategy development assistance to the organisation. Jude has a Master’s in Education from RMIT University is undertaking a PhD in operationalising data governance in research institutions. Her interests include data governance and data management in terms of adoption as well as culturally respectful digital ecosystems, particularly in managing indigenous data.

Jude's ARDC position: In this role, Jude is contributing to a range of projects in the digital health and health data spaces. The work is providing Jude with the opportunity to leverage her management and research skills, while learning new concepts in the health research space. Jude is contributing to cutting edge ideas and working to solve significant data challenges for the health sector.

Call: 03 5327 9672
Email: j.channon@federation.edu.au

ARDC Project Coordinator (HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons): Jennifer Corbett

Jennifer has over 15 years of experience supporting eResearch projects throughout the research lifecycle. She collaborates with industry, government and academia to develop national-scale data infrastructure and innovative digital transformations that enhance research data management practices.

Call: 03 5327 9369
Email: j.corbett@federation.edu.au

Research Centre Coordinator: Kelly Hartwig

Kelly joined Federation University in 2019, starting at the Mt Helen Library as a Frontline Service Officer before progressing to the role of Frontline Service Supervisor. 

In her current role as Research Centre Coordinator, Kelly provides administrative support for CeRDI’s operations and assists researchers with administrative needs throughout the research project lifecycle. Additionally, she serves as Executive Officer to Director Helen Thompson. 

Kelly holds a Master of History from the University of New England. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Ballarat. She has extensive experience in customer service, information management, and staff leadership to her role.

Email: k.hartwig@federation.edu.au

Associate: Prof Andrew Barton

Andrew is as a Professor in Water Resources Engineering. Andrew received his PhD from the University of Tasmania in the area of experimental fluid mechanics (near wall flows and surface roughness) and civil engineering hydraulics (hydropower systems). He holds an MEngSc from Monash University where he researched fishway hydraulics and numerical modelling techniques. He has since worked for about 20 years in both the water resources industry and academia in senior roles developing a national and international profile in water resources engineering and hydraulics. 

Andrew has strong research experience spanning the water resources domain through his supervision of several PhD students, past ARC Linkage projects and numerous other large research grants, and having published over 100 conference and journals papers. Due to his applied research focus, and highly regarded engineering experience, a range of government and industry clients regularly seek out Andrew for his consulting and expert services.

Andrew is a Chartered Professional Engineer, an Executive Engineer, and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Email: a.barton@federation.edu.au

Associate: Dr Azadeh Noori Hoshyar

Dr. Azadeh Noori Hoshyar is a lecturer in information technology at Federation University Australia. Prior to that, Dr. Azadeh was a postdoctoral research fellow at Bond University, and received her PhD from Western Sydney University (WSU) in 2019. Dr. Azadeh has a Master’s degree in engineering from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and a Master’s in information technology (computer science) from the National University of Malaysia. Dr. Azadeh research expertise includes artificial intelligence, image processing, and signal processing. Dr. Azadeh has worked on several AI-based projects in different real-world applications. Dr. Azadeh has published widely in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences.  

Dr. Azadeh is currently working on the project to detect and classify defects on mining structures using deep learning technique.  

Dr. Azadeh has received different awards and grants including; Women in STEM Researcher of the Year Award 2020, RSP funding, and $50,000 funding from industry.

Dr. Azadeh is a member of the Australian Computer Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Australian Network of Structural Health Monitoring and IHM Lab (Western Sydney School of Engineering).

Email: a.noorihoshyar@federation.edu.au