EarthFest Panel Discussions
Hear from our experts and ask them your questions!
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Natural Hazards & Us: What, Where and How to prepare
Meet the panelists:
Pooja Kulkarni
Emergency Management Advisor
Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO)
Motivated by personal experience with the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, Pooja possesses a Master of Science in Emergency Management. In her role as an Emergency Management Advisor at WREMO, she actively promotes community resilience, leveraging her extensive expertise gained across the Asia-Pacific region in business continuity, emergency management, and health and safety planning.
Nicola Litchfield
Earthquake Scientist
GNS Science
Nicola is a geologist who studies past earthquakes and their impacts on landscapes. She has worked on active faults throughout New Zealand and on raised beaches along the Hikurangi Subduction Zone. She leads the It’s Our Fault programme that aims to increase the resilience of the Wellington Region to earthquakes and associated hazards https://www.itsourfault.org.nz/.
Lauren Vinnell
Lecturer in Emergency Management
Joint Centre for Disaster Research
Dr Lauren Vinnell is a social scientist with a background in applied social psychology. Her work explores how people perceive and decide to act on risk, to find ways of better encouraging preparation for natural hazards.
Andrea Wolter
Engineering Geologist
GNS Science
Andrea is an Engineering Geologist who specialises in landslides – how and when they happen and why. She moved to Aotearoa three years ago from Canada and has been involved in several landslide event responses, including Cyclone Dovi and Cyclone Gabrielle..
Live chat with Scott Base, Antarctica
Ever wanted to know what it's like to work in Antarctica? Join a live video chat with scientists working at Scott Base, where they are studying everything from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere! Discover how Antarctic science is helping us understand the history and function of the entire Earth, and what it's like living and working on its largest, coldest and most remote and isolated continent.
We'll be live video-calling Scott Base Antarctica to chat to some scientists about their work...
Come along and ask them your questions!
Earth Science for a Safe and Sustainable Future
Where does the metal in your mobile come from? What role does Earth science play in developing new materials and renewable energy? How does Earth science contribute to improving community resilience and wellbeing? Come along to hear these questions answered and more as we look to Earth science to provide continued access to the amenities and resources we have come to depend on in our everyday lives, while also ensuring a safe and sustainable future for all.
Meet the panelists:
Kennie Tsui
Chief Executive
New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA)
A chemical and process engineer by training, and also holding an MBA, Kennie has a wealth of knowledge across the energy sector. Prior to becoming CEO of NZGA, she was Principal Analyst at the Climate Change Commission, and was heavily involved in developing the “Ināia tonu nei: a low emissions future for Aotearoa” report which provided recommendations to the Government on climate change action in New Zealand.
Murray McCurdy
Energy Materials Scientist
GNS Science
Murray leads the Materials for a Low Carbon Future programme, which develops new materials for the next generation of renewable energy technologies. He has experience across the minerals to materials value chain from private sector minerals research and consulting to co-founding an advanced materials company.
Lauren Farmer
Exploration Geologist
Alpine Geoscience Consultants
Lauren earned a Master's in Geology from the University of Southampton and a PhD in Economic Geology from the University of Otago. In addition to working as a consultant in her own company, she serves as the Secretary of the New Zealand branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), and is a passionate advocate for the advancement of sustainability in the minerals industry.
Caroline Orchiston
Director and Associate Professor
Centre for Sustainability, University of Otago
Caroline is passionate about community resilience in the context of disruption and disaster, and the intersection of sustainability and resilience in communities. She advocates for effective and engaging science communication that supports communities to increase their awareness and work together to build resilience. As Director of the Centre for Sustainability, Caroline oversees research focusing on social and cultural sustainability, including ways to support a just transition to a low carbon future, and how people and institutions must be part of the dialogue together.