Professor Iain Stewart,
Geoscience Communication at Plymouth University (UK)

Iain Stewart, professor of Geoscience Communication at Plymouth University (UK), is an Earth scientist and broadcaster who specialises in recent geological change. After completing his undergraduate studies in Geography and Geology at Strathclyde University (1986), and a PhD in earthquake geology at Bristol University (1990), he taught Earth Science at Brunel University in west London, before leaving in 2002 to develop television projects on geoscience. Since then he has presented major television series for the BBC on the nature, history and state of the planet, most notably ‘Earth: The Power of the Planet’; ‘Earth: The Climate Wars’; ‘How Earth Made Us’, ‘How To Grow A Planet’; ‘Volcano Live’, and ‘Rise of the Continents’. He regularly fronts BBC Horizon specials on geoscientific topics, such as the Japanese earthquake, the Russian meteor strike, Shale gas/ Fracking, and Florida sinkholes. Some of his most programmes have explored his old ‘backyard’ with ‘Making Scotland's Landscape’ and a celebration of the Scottish pioneers of geology, ‘Men of Rock’. He is currently President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, an Honorary President of the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers and a Patron of the Scottish Geodiversity Forum. In 2013 he was awarded the American Geophysical Union’s Athelstan Spilhaus Award for conveying to the general public the excitement, significance, and beauty of the Earth and space sciences.

Title: Between a rock and a hard place; communicating contested geoscience
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 Professor Mike Archer, 
Head of the Evolution of Earth & Life Sciences Research Group at UNSW 
Mike Archer was born in Sydney but grew up in Appalachia, USA, where, while learning to play banjo and make moonshine, he became obsessed with fossils from the age of 11. After graduating from Princeton University (MCL; Geology & Biology) he did his PhD in the University of Western Australia (Zoology), became Curator of Mammals at the Queensland Museum, Lecturer in the University of New South Wales, Director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Dean of Science at the University of NSW and now Prof. and Head of the Evolution of Earth & Life Sciences Research Group at UNSW. His research projects focus on the deep past such as the World Heritage fossil deposits at Riversleigh, the fragile present such as conservation through sustainable use of native resources including having native animals as pets, securing the future based on the wisdom of the fossil record, and trying to bring extinct species back into the world of the living. He has supervised >85 PhD and Hons students, produced >275 scientific publications including 15 books and received 25 awards including Fellowships in academic societies such as the Academy of Science and Royal Society of NSW, Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science and Member of the Order of Australia.

Title: Developing understanding about Australia's past, present and future from research into the World of Heritage fossil deposits of Riversleigh. 
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 Professor Craig Simmons, 
Director, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University
Craig Simmons is Schultz Chair in the Environment at Flinders University and Director, National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (Australia). One of Australia’s foremost groundwater academics, Professor Simmons has been a significant contributor to global advances in the science of hydrogeology for many years and has published widely in areas including variable density groundwater flow, surface water - groundwater interaction, fractured rock hydrogeology, aquifer storage and recovery, and groundwater flow and solute transport modelling.   He is a member of the Statutory Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development. His work has been recognised by numerous national and international research and teaching awards including the Anton Hales Medal for outstanding research contributions to the Earth Sciences by the Australian Academy of Science.  Professor Simmons has served as an Editor and Associate Editor for numerous major international journals including Hydrogeology Journal (Editor), Water Resources Research, Environmental Modeling and Assessment, Journal of Hydrology, Groundwater and Vadose Zone Journal. 

Title: Groundwater and the Geosciences: Miles to go before we sleep 
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