Professor Katherine Daniell is Interim Director of the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics. She also works in the ANU Institute for Water Futures and Fenner School of Environment and Society. 

Trained in engineering, arts and public policy, Katherine’s transdisciplinary work focuses on collaborative approaches to policy, action and education for sustainable development. She has worked in Australia and internationally on water governance for more than two decades, including on projects related to flood and drought risk management in river basins, climate change adaptation and water knowledge exchange across Oceania and beyond. 

Katherine is a John Monash Scholar, member of the National Committee on Water Engineering, Editor of the Australasian Journal of Water Resources, Member of the Rivers Committee of the Initiatives of the Future of Great Rivers, Fellow and past Director of the Peter Cullen Water and Environment Trust, President of the French-Australian Association for Research and Innovation (AFRAN) Inc., and a Chevalier (Knight) in the French Ordre National du Mérite.

Keynote: Navigating complex and chaotic water futures: cybernetics as method 

Angus Simpson is an Emeritus Professor in the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He has worked at the University of Adelaide for 34 years. He completed his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering at Monash University, a Masters at Colorado State University and a PhD at the University of Michigan. 

His current research interests are the optimisation of the design and operation of water distribution and pumping systems using evolutionary algorithms and economic model predictive control, steady state computer simulation methods for analysis of water distribution systems, and condition assessment of water distribution systems using non-invasive controlled water hammer pulses. He has written 160 refereed journal articles in leading international journals.

Emeritus Professor Simpson has also been involved in two significant commercialisations of research. For the first, in 1996, a spin-off company – Optimatics Pty Ltd – was formed to deliver consulting services and software for the optimising water distribution systems using evolutionary algorithms. In 2018, Optimatics was sold to Suez. For the second, in 2013, Detection Services of Sydney took up a licence to commercialise research based on pipe condition assessment technology using water hammer. The company employs 18 graduates in Adelaide and delivers services world wide.

Keynote: Optimisation of water distribution systems design and operations using evolutionary algorithms - how far have we come?

Alex Held is one of Australia’s leading earth observation experts and is the Mission Lead, CSIRO AquaWatch Australia (AquaWatch). AquaWatch is developing a world class is integrated water quality monitoring and forecasting system using data from earth observation satellites and aquatic based sensors nationally and internationally providing actionable information on inland and coastal water quality.

In early 2021, and in global recognition of his work, Alex received the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award for “outstanding contributions to the development of space research in which a leadership role is of particular importance”, being the first winner of this award from the southern hemisphere. Alex was the recipient of the Earth Observation Australia Scientist Award in 2022 for Significant Contribution to the Development of the Australian Earth Observation Community and its Capability and a finalist for 2023 Australian Space Scientist of the Year.

Keynote: AquaWatch Australia mission