Events

Dr Ruby Michael is a Senior Lecturer in Ecological Engineering in the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Griffith University and the founder of Green Infrastructure Research Labs (GIRLS), an award-winning transdisiplinary engineering, ecology, urban planning and design lab with a vision to rebuild flourishing ecosystems across public and private space.

She leads the Transforming to Climate Resilient Development research theme within the Griffith Institute for Human and Environmental Resilience (GIHER) and represents Australia on the International Society of Ecological Engineering board.

Dr. Ruby Michael is an International expert on phytocapping, a nature based solution for landfill and mine waste capping, where she has more than 20 years experience delivering high quality engineering design and ecological after-use outcomes for rehabilitation and closure of legacy sites. Together with her research team at Green Infrastructure Research Labs (GIRLS), she also works actively across the domains traditionally referred to as green infrastructure such as green roofs and walls, trees on buildings, water sensitive urban design (WSUD) and on the management of urban forests, street trees and parklands.

Dr. Ruby Michael is a Senior Fellow to the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) with a strong track record of mentoring sessional staff into academic positions and impactful publications in learning and teaching. Building on her successful mentorship of senior colleagues to SFHEA and FHEA, she co-leads a Mentoring-Community of Practice for Engineering and Built Environment academics interested to further their evidence-based practice and accreditation to the Higher Education Academy.

Dr Ruby Michael's conception of teaching is based on 'substance' - that which remains after the learning journey is complete. Her teaching scholarship focusses on relationship-based approaches to course improvement, design practice, use of e-portfolios, project based learning, gamification, ethics of AI and embedding Indigenous and ecological perspectives into the engineering curriculum.

Shao is the treatment planning lead at City of Gold Coast with over 15 years of R&D and industrial experience in sewage treatment and biosolids management. He has a strong interest in developing sustainable and innovative treatment solutions that provide tangible value to the community.

Jemma is an environmental scientist and science leader with more than 20 years’ working with heavy industries and infrastructure to deliver complex environmental assessments, scientific monitoring, and statutory approvals. Jemma is the Chief Scientist and executive leader for ARRC Gold Coast, a City of Gold Coast controlled entity delivering integrated resource recovery and waste management precincts and facilities for South East Queensland. Jemma’s role at ARRC Gold Coast not only involves navigating, negotiating, and obtaining all approvals and managing the environmental impact assessment processes, but also leading the research, development, and innovation for the organisation, pursing the best available technologies from across the globe to lift Australia’s waste reduction, circular economy, and resource recovery efforts with cutting edge technologies and science. Jemma holds tertiary qualifications in environmental and marine science, landscape architecture, law, and has a PhD in Environmental Chemistry.

Andrew Thomas is a Griffith University environmental engineering graduate, Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and RPEQ with more than 30 years' experience in environmental consulting and remediation contracting across Australia and internationally. He has worked in both consulting and remediation contracting sectors and led major contaminated land, groundwater and PFAS remediation projects before moving into project and program leadership roles with GHD. At this event, Andrew will share insights from his career journey and discuss the diverse pathways available to environmental engineering graduates.