NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee

Scientist who is an employee of a NSW tertiary educational institution

Professor French is at the University of Wollongong. Her research focuses on the impacts of different disturbances such as weed invasion and heatwaves on threatened species and communities. Her work straddles both plants and animals and is focused on delivering information to directly help management.

Scientist nominated by a professional body principally involved in ecological or invertebrate research

Professor Gross is Professor Emeritus in Vegetation Management at the University of New England. She is currently working on plant-pollinator systems at the individual plant and community level, seed bank ecology and the population ecology of threatened plant species. She is currently leading a team that has been investigating the impacts of fire in the Howell Shrublands, an endangered ecological community. 

Scientist who is employed by a public authority with expertise in forest ecology, agricultural science or natural resource management

Dr Dawson is a wildlife ecologist with research interests in the population ecology of both over‑abundant and threatened species, and specifically managing the impact of introduced herbivores. Her work currently focuses on supporting private land managers to sustainably manage natural assets.

Scientist employed and nominated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Dr Encinas-Viso is a research scientist at the Centre of Australian National Biodiversity Research, CSIRO. His research focuses on conservation genetics, plant and pollination ecology. He also has a strong interest in the application of ecological and evolutionary modelling to conservation and habitat restoration.

Scientist who is an employee of a NSW tertiary educational institution

Professor Moles is director of the Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at UNSW Sydney, and a member of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Advisory Panel. Angela is a plant ecologist whose research spans many topics relevant to threatened species, including how Australian ecosystems are responding to climate change, invasion biology, and plant-animal interactions such as seed predation, herbivory and pollination. 

Scientist employed and nominated by the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust

Dr Offord is a conservation biologist at the Australian Institute for Botanical Science, based at the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan. She specialises in ex situ conservation and translocation of threatened plant species. Cathy has a particular interest in seed biology, tissue culture and cryogenic storage of germplasm. 

Scientist employed by the Department of Planning and Environment and nominated by the Environment Agency Head

Michael Pennay is an ecologist working for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Chiroptera specialist group. Michael has more than 20 years’ experience in applied ecology with a focus on survey, identification, and assessment of the distribution and conservation status of numerous species and ecological communities in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.

Scientist who is an employee of, and nominated by, the Australian Museum Trust

Dr  Reid  is  a systematic  entomologist  with  particular  interest  in  beetles  (Coleoptera), especially  leaf  beetles  (Chrysomelidae)  and  scarabs  (Scarabaeidae).  His  research includes evolution, host plant relationships, agricultural pests, biogeography, life history and conservation.

Scientist who is employed by a public authority with expertise in forest ecology, agricultural science or natural resource management

Mr Slade is an ecologist with more than 30 years’ experience in terrestrial ecology and natural resource management within the NSW public sector. He has extensive experience in field survey and management of native fauna species across eastern NSW. He is currently the Senior Ecologist in Hardwood Forests of Forestry Corporation, which involves biodiversity management in forests including recently, research on koala habitat use and development of monitoring programs. 

Scientist employed by the Department of Planning and Environment and nominated by the Environment Agency Head

Mr Turner has worked for more than 25 years in terrestrial ecology and natural resource management with the NSW public sector. He has extensive experience in field survey and classification of native vegetation across eastern NSW including coast, escarpment, tableland and western slopes environments. He currently works as part of a team in the Environment, Energy and Science group within DPIE developing a revision of NSW plant community types.