People

Throughout his career in research and academia, Michael investigated how crops and trees, and the related agro and forest ecosystems adapt to changing and challenging environments.

Having worked in three different countries, learn more about our Director.

Lau Dr Viliamu Iese has a long career across climate-change adaptation and disaster risk management (both extreme and slow onset events), with skills and expertise in sustainable agriculture, food-system resilience, climate change and its effect on agriculture, agro-biodiversity and developing resilience of communities and industries.

Read more about this Samoan chief – denoted by the title “Lau” –  who holds a PhD in Climate Change from the Pacific Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development, and has 52+ peer-reviewed publications to his name.

Sabine is a crop scientist with an overall interest in the environmental, economic and social sustainability of agriculture.

Read more about our Associate Director – Agricultural Innovation, including her work in plant responses to changing environments here.

Anita has a background in agriculture and extensive experience engaging with Victoria's regional communities.

Read more about our Hub Operations Manager, including returning full circle to Dookie, here.

Daniel joined the Vic Hub in November 2022. His research background, combined with career experience in cross-sectoral agricultural policy, stakeholder engagement and government relations will see him promote and foster agricultural innovation by building on these connections and relationships.

Read more about our Innovation Broker, including his PhD in animal science, which focused on utilising discarded vegetables as alternative ruminant feeds.

(The Innovation Broker role is funded through an agreement with AgriFutures Australia.)

Peter has extensive experience of working in drought-related regions, including Africa, Latin America and closer to home in Western Australia. Read more about our Victoria Soils Co-ordinator here.

Rebecca leads the small, expert team of Knowledge-Brokers who combine scientific and communications expertise for the Vic Hub. Read more about Rebecca and her expertise in integrating knowledge to create new understanding here.

Sam joined the Vic Hub in October 2022, as part of the Hub’s expansion. Since graduating from Dookie Agricultural College with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture), her career has focused around the two things she adores: agriculture and communications.

Aside from her love of Australian ag, dictionaries, kelpies and cheese, see more about our Social Media & Comms Officer.

Emma has just joined the expanding Vic Hub as our Admin Assistant.

She comes to the Hub with a career background in property-law administration, along with a range of diverse administration roles that have allowed her to build a proactive, efficient work approach.

Come back to find out more about this waterfall-chasing, Lindt-chocolate loving admin whiz, who also volunteers on a Perendale Stud Farm at Goughs Bay in her spare time.

(Emma also works one day a week with NorVicFoods, co-located with the Vic Hub at Melbourne Uni’s Dookie Campus.)