Chair - Professor Paul Greenfield, AO

University of Queensland

Professor Greenfield is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Previously he was Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2002-07), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2001), Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (1997-00) and Executive Dean of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Architecture. Professor Greenfield currently chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee overseeing the $5.2 million Moreton Bay and Brisbane River Wastewater Management Study (since 1994); the Waste Technical Working Group, Basel Convention (since 1995); and the Advisory Board of I.P. Australia (since 1999). He is a Director of several University companies and has consulted for national and international companies and government agencies in the fields of biotechnology, wastewater management, environmental management and project evaluation.

In the 2006 Australia Day Honours, Professor Greenfield was appointed as an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to science and engineering, particularly through research in the areas of chemical engineering, biotechnology, wastewater and environmental management, and to the tertiary education sector. Professor Greenfield's research is recognised internationally for capacity to attract funding and significance of published output. He still supervises PhD students and he is credited with more than 180 journal publications, 120 conference publications, three patents and more than 20 invited international (keynote/plenary) addresses.

Professor Ned Pankhurst

Griffith University

Professor Pankhurst joined Griffith in September 2006 from James Cook University where he had held the position of Pro Vice Chancellor of Science, Engineering and IT since early 2004. After completing his PhD studies on freshwater eels, Professor Pankhurst spent 3 years at the University of Alberta (Department of Zoology) in Edmonton, Canada, as a Killam Postdoctoral Fellow, developing his expertise in fish endocrinology. In 1985 he took up a 2 year Fellowship with New Zealand Fisheries Research Centre in Wellington NZ, following which he was appointed to a lectureship (and 3 years later a senior lectureship) in Marine Biology at the Leigh Marine Laboratory of the University of Auckland, NZ. At Leigh, he developed a program of field endocrinology and behaviour of marine fishes, largely based on animals in their natural habitat. In early 1994, he took up a position of Associate Professor in the School of Aquaculture at the University of Tasmania, and was awarded a Personal Chair in 1996 and was Head of School from 1998 to 2003. His work in Tasmania centred on using the understanding of fish reproductive physiology of fish to manipulate and optimise reproduction of fish in aquaculture.

Professor Pankhurst's research interests lie in the area of biology of fishes including the reproductive physiology and endocrinology of fishes, broodstock management and induced spawning of fishes in aquaculture, and the development of new marine species for aquaculture. He has published widely in the field of and routinely reviews for international journals and is a member of the editorial board of three journals.

Professor Edwina Cornish

Monash University

Professor Edwina Cornish was appointed to the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Monash University in February 2004. She was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and concurrently Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Adelaide.

Professor Cornish has a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Melbourne. She played a key role in building one of Australia's first biotechnology companies, Florigene Limited. Under her leadership the company developed and successfully commercialised the world's first genetically modified flowers. She has been a member of the Board of the Australian Research Council and the South Australian Premier's Science and Research Council, and has served on the Prime Minister's Science and Engineering Council and the Victorian Government Science and Engineering Technology Taskforce. Professor Cornish is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Professor Alistar Robertson

University of Western Australia

Professor Alistar Robertson joined UWA in 2003 as Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. At the beginning of 2008, he was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Initiatives). He is responsible for facilitating and managing strategic relationships with the Commonwealth science agencies, industry and State and Local agencies in the broad area of environmental research. He is working closely with the Faculties at UWA to increase research income, with a particular focus on ARC Linkage grants. With the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Research Training), Alistar is also responsible for developing mentoring programs for early career research staff. He is Chair of the Associate Deans for Research Committee, a member of the University Senior Management Group and the University Planning and Budget Committee.

Before joining UWA, Alistar held research positions at Dalhousie University, Canada, CSIRO Marine Research Division, Australia, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Charles Sturt University. Alistar’s research has focused on ecological processes in marine and freshwater systems, including trophodynamics, nutrient cycling, fish biology and vegetation dynamics in seagrass, mangrove, continental shelf and floodplain river habitats in tropical and temperate Australia, Canada, New Guinea and South-East Asia.

He has served as a member of several research and environmental management committees, including the Torres Strait Baseline Study Management Advisory Committee, the Water Quality Technical Advisory Panel with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Committee and the Research Grants Committee and College of Experts of the Australian Research Council. He is a member of the Board of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, the Western Australian Marine Science Institution, the International Water Centre and Agriculture Research Western Australia.

Adrian Jeffreys

Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Queensland Government

As Executive Director Environment and Resources Policy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, Adrian's responsibilities include the development and coordination of strategic policy on water management issues across Queensland. He currently represents the Queensland Government on the COAG working group on water and chairs a national working group on climate change adaptation providing advice to COAG.

Adrian has been with the Department of the Premier and Cabinet for the past six years. Prior to that he was Manager (Vegetation Management) in the Department of Natural Resources and Water after working for a number of years in the Environmental Protection Agency. He worked for non-government conservation groups for over sixteen years including five years as Director of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland.

Martin Albrecht, AO

International RiverFoundation

Martin Albrecht was appointed Managing Director of Thiess Pty. Ltd. in May, 1985. He retired as CEO on October 30th, 2000. He was appointed Non Executive Chairman of Thiess Pty. Ltd. and a Director of Leighton Holdings Limited in October 2001 and is also Chairman of Geodynamics Limited. With current work in hand approaching $9 billion, Thiess employs over 12,000 people and has operations located throughout Australasia.

Martin is Chairman of International RiverFoundation (IRF) and was instrumental in its establishment, and its subsequent support of the International WaterCentre (IWC). The IRF addresses issues related to sustainable water use and protection and restoration of rivers and waterways nationally and internationally.

Mr. Albrecht continues to take an active interest in a wide range of Government, community, education and cultural activities. He was a foundation Board Member of the Australian Constructors Association and a Director of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He received his Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) for services to the Construction Industry, the engineering profession and community in areas of education and corporate social responsibility in 2002 and was also awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003.

Dianne Tarte

Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership

Diane Tarte is the Project Director of the Moreton Bay Waterways and Catchments Partnership and oversees the delivery of the Partnership’s work program. She has a background in coastal and marine policy development and implementation, with a particular emphasis on improved community engagement in natural resource management. She is a member of the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust Advisory Committee, chairs the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Fisheries Reef Advisory Committee and is a member of the Great Barrier Reef Consultative Committee. In July 2003 she was appointed to Brisbane Water’s Advisory Board of Management. From 1993 to 2002 she was the National Coordinator of the Marine and Coastal Community Network, and between 1994 and 2001 was the Australian representative on the governing council of the IUCN, the World Conservation Union.