Who we are
About Us
Conference Organising Committee 2026
Courtney Smith (She/her)
Co-Chair
Coastal Scientist
Garigal COUNTRY
Courtney is a coastal scientist at Water Technology who is lucky enough to work across the NSW and QLD coastline. She enjoys all the coast has to offer, for both the environmental values and the community it shapes; you’ll find her on, in or under the water!
She mainly works on coastal management programs and coastal hazard assessments, helping to ensure the coast is able to be enjoyed by both present and future generations.
Beth Millsteed (She/her)
Co-Chair
Assistant Project Officer (Marine, Coastal, Estuaries and Flood)
Awabakal Country
Beth is an Assistant Project Officer at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, where she assists councils with implementing Coastal Management Programs across the NSW coastal zone. Beth completed her undergraduate and honours degree at the University of Newcastle, focusing on saltmarsh species health across the Georges River catchment in Sydney NSW. Beth has worked across the University environmental sector, as well as various natural resource management roles within NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services and Victoria’s Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority.
Minalee R. Busi (She/her)
Professional Engineer (Electronics) & Sustainability
Minalee is a professional engineer and corporate sustainability enthusiast. She is a graduate from Monash University where she studied Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability. She was awarded the Unit Prize for Sustainable Business and Innovation by the Monash Business School. Her subsequent research in ocean-based solutions for climate mitigation at Climateworks Centre was part of nominations for Earthshot Prize 2025. She was previously a top-performing graduate trainee and systems engineer at Infosys Private Ltd after attaining her Bachelors of Technology degree from IIIT Bhubaneswar, India. She currently volunteers with Friends of the Earth, Melbourne with a research focus on zero-waste living and teaches technology and robotics at CodeCamp in Melbourne, Victoria.
Annabel Green (She/her)
Coastal Scientist
Dharawal Country
Annabel is a second year PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong supervised by Dr. Jeff Kelleway, Professor Kerrylee Rogers and Associate Professor Owen Price. Her project is investigating the post-fire responses of intertidal and supratidal forested wetlands in south-eastern Australia. Annabel is closely linked with Batemans Marine Park and hopes the findings of her project will contribute to the ongoing management of fire-impacted coastal wetlands.
Emily Lazarus (She/her)
Postdoctoral Researcher
Bindal and Wulgurukaba Country
Emily is a postdoctoral researcher at TropWATER, James Cook University in Townsville. Emily’s research interests broadly include tropical geomorphology, spatial analysis and long-term climate reconstruction. She recently completed her PhD, studying the geomorphology of cays (low-lying reef islands) within the Great Barrier Reef, linking processes to form. Emily has been the local hub host in Townsville for the past two years and now joins the conference organising committee as one of the speaker coordinators
Sophie Goldinng Chan (She/her)
PhD Candidate
on the lands of the Kulin Nations
Sophie is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, supervised by Juliet Sefton and David Kennedy. Her project is investigating the paleo sea-level of Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne during the Holocene – the last 10,000 years. Specifically, what is the evidence for past higher sea-levels and collaborating with Aboriginal Traditional Owners to understand their connection to land and sea country throughout this time.
Ally Suzzi (She/Her)
Coast and estuary Officer
Awabakal Country
Ally is a Coast and Estuary Officer at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, where she provides technical advice on coastal management projects across the Hunter Central Coast region. Ally completed her PhD at the University of Newcastle in 2023, which focussed on the use of molecular tools for monitoring estuarine systems. Her professional interests include the monitoring and management of human impacts on coastal and marine environments, using innovative tools and methodologies. Ally is assisting with the central hub coordinator role for AusYCSEC2026, alongside Beth and Sophie.
Ben Hague (He/him)
Coastal and Climate Scientist
Wurundjeri Country
Ben Hague is Climate Scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology, with a PhD from Monash University. Originally a meteorologist, he now researches how coastal flooding hazards change in response to sea level rise, developing coastal hazard projection outputs aligned with user needs. Outside of work he plays the tuba in a community orchestra and enjoys running around his local bushland reserve.
James Thompson
PhD candidate
Yugambeh language region
James is a coastal scientist PhD student at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. His PhD project focuses on renewable wave energy and its interactions with the coastline. He enjoys problem solving, data science and numerical modelling, tropical cyclones and shoreline change. Away from the desk, you can find James in the surf, watching too many NBA games or hiking long trails. Fun fact: James was the lead storm tide forecaster for TC Alfred at BOM!
Stephanie Doumtsis
(She/her)
Senior scientist
wurundjeri country
Stephanie Doumtsis is a coastal scientist at Alluvium Consulting, with a technical background in coastal geomorphology and physical geography. She completed her masters at the University of Melbourne, where she examined the role of rock structures, estuarine and coastal processes on seasonal-decadal scale beach change in Inverloch, Victoria. Stephanie is currently delivering a range of coastal management, adaptation planning and coastal processes projects for local and state government agencies across Australia. She is a passionate science communicator and has interests in GIS analysis, UAVs, remote sensing, beach morphodynamics and geomorphic change. Stephanie has been attending in AusYCSEC since its inception, and was co-chair for the 2025 AusYCSEC National Organising Committee!
Danial Khojasteh
Senior Scientist (Coastal And Marine)
Danial Khojasteh is a Senior Scientist (Coastal and Marine) at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). He completed his PhD and Post-doctoral programs at UNSW and Sydney Institute of Marine Science. His multidisciplinary research spans estuarine hydrodynamics, geomorphology, climate change, human pressures, and inundation risk assessment, providing evidence-based management strategies for coastal estuaries. His work is internationally recognised, with over 35 peer-reviewed publications, guest lecturing, guest editing, and collaborations with global institutions, including scientists from the IPCC. Danial is currently leading research related to global ICOLLs, Sydney Harbour, and modelling estuarine compound inundation within NSW.
Liz Johnson (She/her)
Scientist at NSW DCCEEW
Cameraygal Country
Liz is a graduate of the Master of Sustainability program at Deakin University and is currently studying Marine Science and Management at the University of Sydney. She works for the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water within water, wetlands and coastal science, and has previous professional experience in tree protection and urban forest management. Her interests centre on coastal and marine ecosystems, with a particular focus on algal ecology.
Rowan Tesch (He/him)
Sales Engineer - Oceanography
Palawa Country
Rowan is a graduate of the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. After a brief stint in the agritech industry, Rowan now supports coastal projects by overseeing sales, technical support and instrumentation analysis for academics and metocean professionals around Australia. In his current role Rowan is a technical knowledge on ADCPs, and a active part Nortek’s Oceanography Team. He is based in Nortek’s Australia’s head office in Hobart. A lifelong marine enthusiast, Rowan spends his free time surfing, diving and exploring our coastal areas.
Dayane Barros
Coastal Planner
Yugambeh language region
Dayane is a Coastal Planner at the City of Gold Coast, where she delivers a diverse portfolio of strategic coastal projects and leads key coastal‑protection structure initiatives, including seawall certification, asset planning and resilience‑focused coastal infrastructure programs. She joined Council in 2023 and worked across several operational, asset and project‑focused roles before moving into coastal planning. She completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Nautical Science and began her career in the Brazilian Navy, where she also trained in competitive rowing. Dayane later gained commercial maritime experience as a Deck Officer Cadet on a shuttle tanker before relocating to Australia, where she continues her connection to the water through dinghy sailing. Dayane remains actively engaged in the coastal and marine community. She previously served as the Honorary Secretary of the IMarEST Coastal Science and Engineering Special Interest Group (SIG) and is currently the Local Hub Coordinator and a committee member for AusYCSEC 2026.
Maya Lambert
Coastal Engineer & PhD Candidate
Kaurna country
Maya is a Coastal Engineer and PhD student at Flinders University (Adelaide, South Australia), studying coastal processes along the complex coastline of Victor Harbor. Her research focuses on beach profile change and wave transformation, combining intensive fieldwork, data analysis and numerical modelling. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s in Applied Fluid Mechanics from Universidad de la República (Uruguay), working in coastal related topics since 2015.. Maya has also worked as a coastal engineering consultant on projects for Uruguay’s Ministry of Environment. She has a strong connection with the ocean and loves spending time at the beach.
Stephen Rigney
PhD Candidate
dharawal Country
Stephen is a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong under the supervision of Dr. Jeff Kelleway and Assoc. Prof. Nicholas Deutscher. Coastal intertidal wetlands have an incredible capacity to store carbon for thousands of years due to their water-logged sediment. But these conditions also favour the production of greenhouse gases. His research explores the magnitude and drivers of greenhouse gas fluxes in the coastal intertidal wetlands of SE Australia and models the implications under sea-level rise. He loves the beach, reading, playing music, and is a terrible but persistent board gamer.
Billy Howitt
Coastal Scientist
Turrbal and Jagera Country
Billy Howitt is a coastal scientist at Alluvium Consulting with a technical background in environmental geography and coastal management. He completed his masters at the University of Portsmouth, UK, where he examined the stakeholder engagement and consultation process of the Southsea Coastal Scheme (UK’s largest local government-led project coastal defence project worth more than £160 million). Billy is currently delivering a number of coastal management, adaptation planning and First Nations engagement projects for local and state government agencies in Queensland. Billy has a strong interest in coastal management, GIS and First Nations engagement. He is passionate about engaging with relevant groups and understands the importance of engaging throughout the project life, particularly in the early stages, to ensure ownership is achieved.
Elise Buller (She/her)
PhD Candidate
awabakal country
Elise is a second year PhD student at the University of Newcastle supervised by Dr Hannah Power and Dr Michael Kinsela. Her PhD project is investigating headland bypassing on the NSW coastline. She completed her Honours year in June 2023 where she researched the geomorphology, sedimentology and tsunamigenic hazard of her study site offshore Yamba, NSW, Australia. Elise is interested in coastal processes, sediment transport and hazards to our coastlines. She loves being at the beach and in the salt water in any way she can. Elise was the Co-Chair of the AusYCSEC2024 National Organising Committee.
Ruby Hammond, (She/her)
Coast and estuary officer
AWABAKAL COUNTRY
Ruby Hammond is a Coast and Estuary Officer at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, where she supports councils across the Sydney region in developing Coastal Management Programs and delivering coastal related projects. She holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours) from the University of Newcastle. Her Honours research focused on sediment transport pathways and sedimentology along the NSW Mid North Coast and was supervised by Dr Michael Kinsela and Associate Professor Hannah Power. Ruby has also contributed to an ongoing coastal science project at the University of Newcastle as a research assistant. With five years of consulting experience across the human resources and environmental sectors. Ruby also served as Co‑Chair of the AusYCSEC 2023 National Organising Committee.
Dr. Tom Murray (He/him)
Research Fellow Griffith University
Yugambeh language region
Dr Tom Murray is a research fellow at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Tom lives, works and plays in southeast Queensland and northern NSW, covering the sea country of the Quandamooka (Minjerribah / Stradbroke Island / Morton Bay), Yugambeh (Gold Coast) and Bundjalung (northern NSW) nations. Tom’s research primarily informs coastal processes management for local and state government in the region and he’s passionate about coastal geomorphology, surf zone hazards and the science of surfing.
Dylan McLaughlin (He/him)
PHD candidate
Dharawal Country
Dylan McLaughlin is a PhD Candidate at the University of Wollongong focusing on coastal geomorphology and sediment dynamics using innovative remote sensing technologies. After a successful career in experiential marketing, Dylan’s passion for the coast prompted a literal sea-change to study coastal environments. He is also a (very) mediocre guitar player. Dylan is thrilled to help as part of the AusYCSEC Organising Committee again in 2026.
Tom Doyle (He/him)
Senior Scientist (Coastal and Marine) Gadigal and Bidjigal country
Tom Doyle is a senior scientist (coastal and marine) within the Science, Economics and Insights Division of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), with experience that also spans university, private and local government sectors. His research interests are focused on the geomorphology and eco-morphodynamics of the coastal zone and his research covers a range of topics from foredune morphology and ecology, dune evolution through time, coastal processes, human impacts of coastal systems, to the monitoring of various coastal environments using GIS and remote sensing techniques. Tom currently co-leads the state-wide science program for DPE, which aims to collect high resolution data (inc. waves, and seabed mapping) to underpin NSW coastal management (inc. CMPs).
Hannah Power (She/her)
Associate professor & coastal scientist
AWABAKAL COUNTRY
Hannah Power is an Associate Professor in Coastal and Marine Science in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle. Her research interests are focussed on the geomorphology and hydrodynamics in the coastal zone and her research covers a wide range of topics from breaking wave hydrodynamics on sandy beaches, to geomorphic change on coral reefs through time, to tsunami inundation modelling. Hannah is a Science Technology Australia 2021 Superstar of STEM and was awarded the NSW Young Tall Poppy Award in 2021. Hannah is also the founder of the Australasian Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference series.
