Keynote Speakers
Dr. Kristen Splinter
Professor | University of New South Wales Sydney
Managing Director | Water Research Laboratory
Kirsten's research covers broad topics including storm to inter-annual shoreline change monitoring and modelling; coastal erosion and beach recovery; dune erosion; and remote sensing of the coastal environment. She is currently leading a 4-year ARC Future Fellowship to develop regional scale forecasting of sandy coastal change around NSW and is on the leadership team for a newly announced ARC Centre of Excellence: Our Future Oceans. Her current research involves the development of new shoreline models, including adaptive empirical approaches and machine learning techniques.
Her goal is to not only develop skillful models for our complex coastlines but also use these models to further learn about dynamic systems. As a female engineer, Kristen has a strong desire to support and encourage more women and diverse backgrounds into the discipline and enjoys working with young children to support interest in STEM. She is the co-founder of the international seminar series, Comomola: Coastal Morphodynamics and Machine Learning: Building an Inclusive International Network of Scientists.
Hoani Langsbury
Senior Ecological Consultant | Ngaio House
Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Rapuwai, Kati Hawea
Hoani Langsbury has been an independent Commissioner for over 18 years, he has been an active kaitiaki almost all his life. He has a background in environmental management and is the senior Ecological Consultant for Ngaio House Consulting, a small business he has operated with his wife based at Otakou since 2011. He is an ecologist and conservationist with many years of experience supporting the community to achieve successful environmental outcomes.
He is active member of the Otago Conservation community, with a diverse skillset and responsibilities, such as the Chair of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Trust, and a founding trustee for Wild Dunedin Festival and Predator Free Dunedin. He enjoys contributing to local community wellbeing, providing for the maintenance of community infrastructure, and ensuring that long term strategies blend environmental sustainability whilst ensuring social and economic benefits are realized.