Academic CV

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[CLICK HERE] for a full list of my publications

[CLICK HERE] to obtain a PDF copy of my CV (including publications)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS (reverse chronological order)

  • Researcher – Utrecht University, Netherlands. 2025
  • Professional Research Fellow – University of Vienna, Austria. 2022 – 2023
  • Professor – Northwest University, China. 2019 – 2025
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow – University of Kansas, USA. 2017 – 2018
  • Postdoctoral Associate – Yale University, USA. 2016
  • Lecturer – Macquarie University, Australia. 2013 – 2014
  • Research Fellow –  Macquarie University, Australia. 2012
  • Research Fellow – University of New South Wales, Australia. 2009 – 2010
  • Collections Office  – Australian Museum, Australia.  2006- 2008

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

A full list of my publications can be found either on my Contributions page [CLICK HERE] or by accessing Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=1u3axhQAAAAJ&hl=en

RESEARCH FUNDING AND AWARDS

  • RMB¥6000000 – National Natural Science Foundation of China. 
  • RMB¥10000000 – National Natural Science Foundation of China. Using metabolic rate to link the Cambrian Substrate Revolution to the Cambrian Radiation. 2019
  • AU$24,500 – Endeavour Research Fellowship. Identifying the frequency of speciation modes in the fossil record. 2015
  • AU$48,000 – Australian Biological Resources Study Research Grant. Biodiversity and biogeography of benthic foraminifera from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 2015
  • AU$105,000 – Macquarie University Research Project. Speciation mechanisms in planktic Foraminifera. 2011
  • AU$75,000 – University of New South Wales Research Centre Project. Using microfossils to identify palaeo-tsunami. 2009
  • AU$1,000 – Australian Biological Resources Study Grant. Agglutinated foraminifera from inner neritic sand and mud facies of the Papuan lagoon New Guinea. Australian Biological Resources Study. 2006
  • US$1,000 – Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research Grant. Holocene foraminifera from the reefs surrounding Viti Levu, Fiji Islands: a test of the FORAM Index. 2006
  • AU$5,500 – Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund. Extant Foraminiferal Faunas from Estuarine Deposits in Eastern Australia: analogues for faunas from Australia’s Permian and Cretaceous Inland Seas. 2003
  • AU$54,000 – Australian Postgraduate Award. Distribution of agglutinated Foraminifera from modern estuarine environments: analogues for faunas from Australia’s Permian and Cretaceous seas. 2003
  • AU$1,200 – Betty Mayne Scientific Research Fund for Earth Sciences. Foraminifera of Tuross Estuary and Coila Lake;Indicators of Estuarine Evolution. 2002.

RESEARCH INTERESTS 

  • Marine Ecology/Palaeoecology (ecological distinctness of assemblages through time, ecological controls on species and trait distribution)
  • Evolutionary Biology (macroevolutionary dynamics, speciation mechanisms and evolutionary innovations)
  • Community Resilience to Natural Hazards (interpreting marine inundation events using palaeoecological data)
  • Marine and Coastal Geology / Coastal Processes (coastal evolution and change, contemporary shoreline processes, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction)

SKILLS AND EXPERTISE 

  • Data compilation and multivariate statistics
  • R programming language
  • Sample processing – including foraminifera, ostracods, molluscs, brachiopods, chitinozoans and pollen
  • Scientific writing and publication
  • Education & training

FIELD EXPERIENCE AND FIELD TECHNIQUES

  • Field experience: siliciclastic marine environments; tropical carbonate environments; deep-ocean environments; freshwater lakes; cool temperate settings; arid inland settings.
  • Previous field sites: eastern Australian; Great Barrier Reef; Flinders Ranges; Gulf of Papua; Fiji; Samoa; Kansas; Utah; South China
  • Sampling expertise: grab samplers; shallow-water coring (I have built both shoreline based piston and vibra-corers); deep-ocean coring; collecting stratigraphic sections.

ACADEMIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Undergraduate Teaching (Full list of courses available here)

  • Macquarie University: 2001 – 2014
  • University of Kansas: 2016 – 2018
  • Northwest University: 2019 – 2024

Postgraduate Supervision

  • Britt
  • University of Kansas: 2016 – 2018
  • Northwest University: 2019 – 2024

SERVICE TO MY DISCIPLINE

  • UNESCO-IOC International Tsunami Survey Team – Group palaeoecologist for the 2009 Samoa UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) post-tsunami survey team.
  • Editorial Roles: Review Editor in Palaeontology for Frontiers in Earth Science and Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
  • Manuscript Peer Review: Recent journals I have reviewed manuscripts for include Biological Reviews, iScience and Progress in Physical Geography
  • Grant Application Review: Recent grant schemes I have reviewed for include the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
  • Conference Organising: Organising committee member for the First International Palaeontological Congress (IPC1 – 2002); Member of organising committee for first Palaeo Down Under (PDU) conference (2000)

OUTREACH

  • Scientists in Schools Program – Scientist partner for the Australian government’s Scientists in Schools program. 2007 – 2013 
  • Science in the City – Scientist and Activity Developer for Australian Museum/Sydney University Science in the City Program. 2007 – 2008
  • Abbotsleigh Girls High School Coral Reef Program – Coordinator and lecturer for field based coral reef course for high school students. 2003 – 2017
  • Festival of Fossils – Instructor and workshop co-ordinator for the festival of fossils short course for high school teachers. 2002

MEDIA COMMUNICATION

2020 – New Scientist
2020 – The Conversation (Australia Edition)
2018 – The Conversation (US Edition)
2018 – 3AW Melbourne (Australian radio)
2018 – British Broadcasting Corporation (United Kingdom radio)
2018 – Capetalk (South African radio)
2018 – Chronicle Herald (Canadian newspaper)
2018 – CNN (United States television)
2018 – Haaretz (Israeli newspaper)
2018 – National Public Radio (United States radio)
2018 – La Repubblica (Italian newspaper)
2018 – Lawrence Journal World (United States newspaper)
2018 – The Conversation (United States media website)
2018 – Washington Post (United States newspaper)
2013 – The Sun-Herald (Australian newspaper)
2009 – Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australian radio)
2006 – Daily Telegraph (Australian newspaper)
2006 – Today Show; Channel 9 (Australian television)
2006 – Totally Wild, Channel 10 (Australian television)