[CLICK HERE] for a full list of my publications
[CLICK HERE] to obtain a PDF copy of my CV (including publications)
CURRENT AND PREVIOUS ACADEMIC POSITIONS (reverse chronological order)
- PROFESSOR – Northwest University, China. February 2019 – Present
- POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER – University of Kansas, USA. September 2016 – September 2018
- POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE – Yale University, USA. February 2016 – August 2016
- LECTURER – Macquarie University, Australia. July 2013 – December 2014
- RESEARCH FELLOW – Macquarie University, Australia. January–December 2012
- RESEARCH FELLOW – University of New South Wales, Australia. March 2009 – January 2010
- COLLECTIONS OFFICER – Australian Museum, Australia. January 2006- August 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$10000000 – Thousand Talents Program. 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 in siliciclastic marine environments, tropical carbonate environments, deep-ocean environments, freshwater lakes, cool temperate settings and arid inland settings. Previous field sites include: eastern Australian coastline; Great Barrier Reef; Flinders Ranges; Gulf of Papua; Fiji; Samoa; Kansas; and northern Utah.
- Sampling expertise includes use of grab samplers, shallow water coring (I have built both piston and vibra-corers), deep-ocean coring and collecting stratigraphic sections.
ACADEMIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Macquarie University (2001 – 2014)
- BIOL261/GEOS235 Palaeontology
- BIOL262 Evolution
- BIOL373 Marine Ecology
- BIOL379/GEOS428 Reef Evolution and Dynamics (Field Course)
- BIOL381/ GEOS312 Invertebrate Palaeontology
- BIOL382/GEOS397 Applied Palaeontology and Biogenic Sediments
- BIOL399 Special Interest Topics in Biology
- GEOS126 Marine Geoscience
- GEOS 272 Earth’s Evolving Environment
- GEOS427 Palaeoecology and Biogeography
University of Kansas (2016 – 2018)
- Biology 225 Evolution and the History of Life
Northwest University (2019 – current)
- The Use of Statistics in Paleontology
SERVICE TO MY DISCIPLINE
- UNESCO-IOC International Tsunami Survey Team – I was the group palaeoecologist for the 2009 Samoa UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) post-tsunami survey team
- Editorial Roles: I am a Review Editor in Palaeontology for the journals 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: Member of organising committee for the first International Palaeontological Congress (IPC) (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)