Senior Professor Kris French is an ecologist at the University of Wollongong. She has focused most of her research on the impact of environmental weeds on plant communities. In earlier years she did extensive research on the impacts of bitou bush invasion on coastal sand dunes, but then expanded her research to investigate other invasive plants in coastal forests such as lantana, boneseed and asparagus fern. Her focus is on understanding the ecology of invasive species to inform management and she has worked closely with government to ensure her results are informative for on ground control. Her approach is to use experimental set ups to understand the mechanisms of invasion but also undertakes extensive focused surveys to understand invasion patterns. Recently she has focused on impacts on threatened species and ecological communities of exotic vines and scramblers, and exotic perennial grasses.

She contributes to the Weeds Working Group under the Environment and Invasive Committee and evaluates invasive species programs for the NSW Environmental Trust. She is keen to see good quality monitoring of impacts and evaluation of management activities and has provided advice to DPE on how to undertake post control monitoring. She believes strongly in providing society with scientifically rigorous proof of the long-term values of management with biocontrol agents and mechanical removal activities to show that weed management does enhance biodiversity outcomes.

After a PhD at the University of Liverpool in the UK, Paul spent six years from 1999 with the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) where he explored the ecology, evolution and management of herbicide resistance in ryegrass. He returned to the UK in 2005 to take up a role at the University of Warwick where he was awarded a Faculty position in 2009. Paul moved to Rothamsted Research in 2104 to lead the weed ecology group. In 2017 he became the lead scientist for Rothamsted’s programme in Smart Crop Protection. He moved to the University of Copenhagen in 2020 to take a Professorship. In Copenhagen his group have been exploring the ecological, evolutionary and genomic basis of weediness, and crop-weed-microbe interactions. A large, new project commencing in 2024, seeks to integrate approaches from ecology, agronomy, data sciences and modelling to explore new crop protection systems with reduced reliance on pesticides.

Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith is the Chief Plant Protection Officer of Australia and Australia’s Delegate at the International Plant Protection Convention’s Commission for Phytosanitary Measures. Dr Vivian-Smith leads Australia’s national responses to emergency plant pest and disease incursions. Her work aims to protect Australia's plant-based industries and the natural environment from harmful exotic plant pests and diseases.

Professor David Lamb, Chief Scientist, Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre, Australia
David is a physicist who has worked in precision agriculture for more than 30 years. Some of his first work involved using airborne video systems to map weeds in crops and fallow fields. He is presently the Chief Scientist of Food Agility, an AU$330M+, Australian Cooperative Research Centre focussed on transforming the agrifood sector using the power of data and digital. He has co-designed/led more than 90 industry-funded R&D projects and established Australia’s first tertiary course in Precision Agriculture. Passionate about ‘reality-fuelled’ agtech innovation on farms, he established the University of New England's internationally renowned SMART Farm in 2007, and recently the Charles Sturt University Global Digital Farm initiative. In 2018 he also co-created of the ‘Farm of the Future’ Pavilion at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. He currently serves as an Australian Representative on the International Society of Precision Agriculture.

Professor Deirdre Lemerle is an Australian weed scientist who aims to develop sustainable and profitable weed management strategies and increase farmers’ capacity to reduce herbicide dependence and reduce weed impacts. She is passionate about farmer-driven research and collaboration, evidence-based communication, and capacity building in the agri-food sectors of Australia and the Asian-Pacific Region. She is a Life-Member of the Weed Society of NSW and received a CAWSS Medal in 1998 for research excellence and leadership. During the last 35 years, she has published over 100 papers in national and international journals, held significant roles in research leadership, served on advisory committees, and provided mentoring support for staff and students. She is currently on the NSW Committee of the Crawford Fund of Australia and is working in SE Asia supporting research and training in weed management in rice-based farming systems.

In recognition of her work in supporting weed science in SE Asia, Professor Lemerle was awarded the Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.

Independent agronomist with a passion for science-based communication of improved grain production practices and systems. Initiated MEY-check (Maximum Economic Yield-check) program in the late 1980s which developed into TopCrop (chair of TopCrop Victoria). Worked with the BCG (Birchip Cropping Group) since its inception in 1992. Following a trip to Canada, instigated Herbicide and Fungicide Diagnostic schools and ran these in Victoria and WA during the 1990s and early 2000s. Introduced APSIM based simulation modelling via internet learning to Victorian farmers as a farm group activity in 2002. Worked with CSIRO in developing Yield Prophet (APSIM based) for managing production risk and N inputs. Farm Management 500 consultant (2 groups) linking production to financial management. During the Millennium drought worked in Papua New Guinea as Head of Agronomy with the PNG Oil Palm Research association for 3 years – returned in 2009. Project leader for GRDC ‘National Paddock Survey’ and ‘Using soil and plant testing data to better inform nutrient management’.

Emilie leads the innovative and award-winning Cross-cultural Ecology Lab at MQU. Following completion of her PhD (University of Wollongong, 2007) and first Post Doc in Weed Ecology (Charles Darwin University, 2007/8) she started collaborating with Indigenous researchers as an ECR through the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at The ANU. Here she worked closely with Indigenous communities and multidisciplinary researchers to develop new cross-cultural approaches to science and environmental management. Emilie moved to MQU in 2013 where she teaches in Environmental Management and is developing a vibrant group of researchers. Her lab works on a range of topics including invasive species, fire, wetlands, coastal floodplains, climate change, genetics, species modelling and maintenance of cultural knowledge, all in partnership with Indigenous knowledge holders to develop cross-cultural understandings and management plans. Dr Ens’s teams have won several awards including the 2017 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science and the 2014 Banksia Award for Indigenous Leadership in Sustainability. Some of her other roles include: co-leading the Wuyagiba Bush Uni (NT); she is an active and inaugural member of the Indigenous Working Group of the Ecological Society of Australia; in the Indigenous Ally group of the Society of Ecosystem Restoration Australia; Technical Advisory Group member for the Laynhapuy Indigeous Protected Area; and editorial board member of journals Ecological Management and Restoration and Sustainability.

The daughter of well known print journalist and editor Michael Courtney, Pip grew up in Tasmania and studied politics and English at University. On graduating she joined ABC news in Hobart in 1986. At school Pip tossed up between two careers - wool classing and journalism. With assorted aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins on the land her interest in agriculture led her to study ag science, but when it came to choosing a career journalism won out. In 1993 she combined her two interests when she joined Landline. In 2007 Pip and former Landline presenter Sally Sara were named Queensland Journalists of the Year for a feature on depression called "Black Dog". In 2009 Pip won the Queensland Rural Press Club's Excellence in Rural Journalism Award. The prise was a trip to the USA to attend an international agricultural journalism conference. A blog about her trip called "Saddle Up" was the ABC's most popular online blog for three months. In 2011 Pip's two-part feature on the coal seam gas industry in Queensland won her the Queensland Media Award's Excellence in Rural Journalism Prise, the Rabobank Star prise for rural broadcasting (Qld), the National Rabobank Star prise and the International Star Prise for Rural Broadcasting. In 2012 Pip was appointed host of Landline. She will continue reporting, with a particular focus on Queensland and Tasmania. Pip is a professional and natural presenter who has MC'd and hosted numerous Conferences, Dinners and awards ceremonies throughout Australia. With finely tuned journalistic skills of a national TV presenter and the empathetic nature of country person, Pip easily hosts the most demanding events.