Speakers

Kate was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide in 2007, where she continued working in postdoctoral research positions until 2012. She then continued her research abroad at Yale University (2012-2013), Columbia University (2013-2015) and the University of Oslo (2015-2016). In 2017 Kate returned to Australia to commence an ARC Future Fellowship at Macquarie University and in 2021 she was delighted to return to Adelaide to take up a position as a Senior Research Fellow at the Future Industries Institute at UniSA. Kate is a magnetotellurics specialist and throughout her research career has been driven to understand what magnetotelluric models can tell us about the composition of the Earth. At present, she is focussed on applying this to improving lithospheric-scale mineral systems models, and to building models of mantle viscosity at the poles for glacial isostatic adjustment and ice loss models.

Isabelle Moretti holds master's degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in earth science from the University Paris XI (Orsay). She was a post doc in Cornell University and the MIT and began her career in 1987 at the French Petroleum Institute (IFP, now IFPen) where she held various project management positions. She worked in fundamental research and developed professional software mixing appraisal activities for industry (TOTAL, CEPSA, YPFB) with work for governmental entities (IRD, CNRS, ANR, CEE, Ancre). In 2012, Isabelle Moretti moved to ENGIE International Exploration and Production (EPI) and became scientific director in early 2018. It that position, she selected the technologies of tomorrow in renewable energies and other emerging markets and lead the research programs of the company in new source of energy and enabling technologies. She has been president of the GERG (European Gas Research organization), of the industrial chairs at ANR (Agence nationale pour la recherche) and been elected at the French Technology Academy in 2018. She is now back to the academic world and leads a team dedicated to natural hydrogen at the University of Pau and the Adour Region (UPPA), France.

Gerard Schuster is currently a Professor of Geophysics at King Abdullah University Science and Technology (KAUST) and an adjunct Professor of Geophysics at University of Utah. He was the founder and director of the Utah Tomography and Modeling/Migration consortium from 1987 to 2009, and is now the co-director and founder of the Center for Fluid Modeling and Seismic Imaging at KAUST. Dr. Schuster helped pioneer seismic interferometry and its practical applications in applied geophysics, through his active research program and through his extensive publications, including his book "Seismic Interferometry" (Cambridge Press, 2009). He also has extensive experience in developing innovative migration and inversion methods for both exploration and earthquake seismology.

Gerard has an MS (1982) and a PhD (1984) from Columbia University and was a postdoctoral researcher there from 1984-1985. From 1985 to 2009 he was a professor of Geophysics at University of Utah. He left Utah to start his current position as Professor of Geophysics at KAUST in 2009. He received a number of teaching and research awards while at University of Utah. He was editor of Geophysics from 2004-2005 and was awarded SEG's Virgil Kauffman gold medal in 2010 for his work in seismic interferometry.

Suzanne Hunt is Global Head of Exploration at OZ Minerals, where she leads the organisation’s Exploration activities to support the building of its growth pipeline, a key focus is the advancement of technology in support of geological concept development. Suzanne has global leadership experience in the mining, oil & gas, and academic sectors. Whilst in the academic sector she published over 60 peer reviewed scientific papers in structural deformation and rock mechanics. Prior to joining OZ Minerals, Suzanne was General Manager Production Planning & Performance and Head of Sustainability at Beach Energy. Prior to this she held senior leadership roles with Mitsui E&P, AWE Limited and Santos. Suzanne also spent time in the Antarctica where she managed the Mawson Station Geophysics Observatory for 18 months. Suzanne started her career in the mining industry as a geotechnical engineer with Goldfields and Coffey Partners. She holds a PhD in Geomechanics, MSc in Mining Geology & Engineering and BSc (Hons) in Geophysics. Suzanne has three children, two young men who have followed her passion for STEM subjects are now gainfully employed in careers of their own and her youngest is a daughter is only 13. Outside of work she enjoys, swimming and enjoys painting seascapes with watercolours and acrylics.

Erin received her PhD in Applied Geology from Curtin University in 2020 during which she worked as a Mine Geologist at IGO’s Nova operation. From 2020-2022, Erin relocated to Melbourne and completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Monash University’s Pulse of the Earth Group, where she continues to be a research Affiliate. Her research focuses on plate tectonics and the supercontinent cycle, as well as big-data, multi-geochemical-proxy records of Earth’s tectonic evolution. In 2022, Erin returned to Perth to join IGO’s Paterson Project as an exploration geologist, focussing on sedimentary hosted and intrusion related copper projects in the region. Erin is an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM and is Secretary of Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences Australasia (WOMEESA).