Victorian Adaptation Forum 2014 - Speakers

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Keynote speakers

Rob Gell

MC of the forum
This is the third year Rob hosted the Forum and VCCCAR was delighted to welcome him back. Rob began his career teaching Geography and Environmental Science at Melbourne State College and Melbourne University, then for thirty-one years presented television weather. He is now a Director of the consultancies World Wind Pty Ltd, bhive Group Pty Ltd and the International College of Environmental Sustainability; Chairman of the UNESCO Western Port Biosphere and Wildlife Victoria, is a member for the Victorian Coastal Council and the Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability’s Reference Group.

Lord John Krebs, FRS

Keynote Speaker
With an initial research career in ornithology and behaviour Lord Krebs FRS is now: Chair of House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology; sits on the UK Climate Change Committee; chairs its Adaptation Sub-Committee, and is Principal of Jesus College Oxford. Before this, Lord Krebs was the inaugural chair of the UK’s Food Standards Agency and was head of the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council.

Robyn Williams

Public Presentation Host
Robyn is best known as the host of the award-winning Science Show, now one of the longest-running programs on Australian radio since 1975. He has also made frequent appearances on ABC TV for such programs as Quantum and Catalyst, and narrated the series Nature of Australia. Outside the ABC, Robyn has served as president of the Australian Museum Trust, chairman of the Commission for the Future and president of Australian Science Communicators. In 1993 he became the first journalist to be elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Robyn will host a conversation with Lord Krebs at a public presentation on Wednesday, 19 March.

Benjamin Preston

Plenary Session Presenter
As well as the 2014 VCCCAR Visiting Fellow, Ben is the Deputy Director of the Climate Change Science Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA), where his research focuses on the assessment of climate risk to human systems and the role of adaptation in risk management. His prior appointments have included work with CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship and the Pew Center on Global Change in Washington, DC.

See pages 6 - 9 of the program for more information about the workshop conveners and the Victorian Adaptation Forum session conveners.