New CRC arrivals

Two new staff members have joined the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC team, with Dr Matt Hayne and Loriana Bethune coming on board.

Matt has joined us as Research Utilisation Manager, and will be working closely with our project teams and partners. Key aspects of his role include overall responsibility for research utilisation activities, including liaising with researchers and end user representatives to develop research utilisation roadmaps, communicating with end user technical groups (such as AFAC technical groups) and developing processes to enable end user organisations to track research utilisation.

Matt has been helping shape earth sciences and disaster management policy objectives in Australia and the region for over 15 years. He has extensive experience in leading and managing large programs for government in the fields of natural disasters, ground water, humanitarian response and Australia’s overseas development agenda. He was:

• Co-Director of the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction (AIFDR) 2010-13, a bilateral Facility that aimed to strengthen the capacity of government of Indonesia and regional mechanisms to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. 
• Acting Group Leader of Geoscience Australia’s Groundwater Group (2008-09). The role was focused on developing a scientific program to address national groundwater issues related to resource availability and management challenges for Australia.
• Project Leader and manager of the Risk Assessment Methods Project, Geoscience Australia (2003-07) where he helped transform an activity-based project into a nationally recognised capability in disaster risk reduction. 

Matt has a PhD from Archaeology and Natural History, Research School of Pacific and Asian studies, Australian National University 1998.

Loriana will be focused on our Research Utilisation Program, working closely with Dr Michael Rumsewicz and Desiree Beekharry on managing and developing our research program, and with Dr Matt Hayne on research utilisation.

Loriana joins the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC after nine years in a range of project, research and evaluation roles with the Inspector-General for Emergency Management and the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner in Victoria.

Loriana’s experience in planning and delivering research and evaluation covers a broad range of subjects across the spectrum of emergency management. Her specialities include research evaluation and review, emergency management legislation policy and standards, continuous improvement and quality assurance, volunteering and community resilience. Loriana has led a variety of emergency management policy and research projects related to:

• Victorian emergency services culturally and linguistically diverse network
• Community alert siren trial and evaluation, Yarra Ranges, Dandenong Ranges and Lorne 
• Capability self-assessment pilot evaluation
• Review of Victoria’s emergency management sector preparedness for major emergencies, managing the evaluation methodology design and stakeholder engagement.

Please join us in welcoming Matt and Loriana to the team. Matt has began with the CRC already, while Loriana commences on Monday 21 September.