Hello, I'm Gabriel ...
... a PhD qualified geo-environmental scientist and engineer with advanced expertise in hydrogeology. I love to get my hands dirty in the lab and field to make real-world measurements and observations. My passion lies in designing specialist field and laboratory experiments, acquiring, compiling and interpreting geoscience information using advanced data science tools provided through the Python programming language. My work aims to develop and apply methods for the quantification of subsurface processes and properties, leading to improved fundamental process understanding. This includes water flows across the surface/subsoil boundary and the impact of underground resource extraction. Understanding and quantifying such processes must underpin sustainable management of Earth's resources. I believe in the power of collaboration and lead projects across countries and disciplines.
Due to my past appointments, I have strong links with the Institute of Applied Geosciences at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany, the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CVEN) at University of New South Wales (UNSW) and with Australia’s National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT).
Software
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Profiles
My academic social media profiles:
Employment
- Jan 2025 - present: Senior Lecturer
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Australia
Faculty position - May 2022 - Dec 2024: Lecturer
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Australia
Faculty position - July 2018 - April 2022: Assistant Professor
- Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
Faculty position - Dec 2016 - April 2018: Lecturer
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Faculty position - Dec 2014 - Nov 2016: Associate Lecturer
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Faculty position - Dec 2011 - Nov 2014: Postdoctoral Research Associate
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Funded by the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Australia - Dec 2008 - Nov 2011: Research Associate
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Funded by the Australian Government's National Water Commission and the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation
Awards and Honours
- September 2021: Hermann-Credner Prize
- Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft - Geologische Vereinigung (DGGV), Berlin
English: German Geological Society - June 2021 - September 2021: Visiting Fellow
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
- May 2019 - April 2021: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow
- Funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program
- May 2018 - April 2021: Visiting Fellow
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
- 2013: Finalist, Malcolm Chaikin Prize for Research Excellence
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney
- 2012: Outstanding Student Paper Award
- American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011
- 2011: Team finalist, National Water Commission Professor Peter Cullen Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation
- Team: Prof. I. Acworth, A/Prof. B Kelly, Dr. M Andersen, A McCallum, A Greve and G C Rau
- 2009: Student Conference Sponsorship Award
- International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), NSW Chapter, Australia
Certificates
- Oct 2019: Leadership Excellence Foundations
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany Three-day seminar about leadership models, effective coaching and conflict resolution
- Sept 2019: The Art of Natural Presentation
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany Three-day practical workshop aiming to improve communication skills by using natural body language
- Nov 2016: Higher Degree Research Supervision Essentials
- Faculty of Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia Taining required for the supervision of PhD/MPhil research candidates at UNSW
- Oct 2016: Foundations of University Learning and Teaching
- Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education, UNSW Sydney, Australia Teaching practise development by exploring a range of perspectives, ideas, theories, and practical approaches to learning and teaching in the higher education context
- Nov 2013: Solute and Reactive Transport Modelling
- National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Australia
Education
- 2019 - 2023: Habilitation
- Department of Civil Engineering, Geo and Environmental Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany
Topic: Applied Geosciences
This degree is the German qualification for professorship - 2009 - 2012: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Australia
Thesis: Experimental Analysis of Heat as a Tracer for the Quantfication of Thermal Dispersion and Water Flow in Sand - 2002 - 2008: Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.) Umweltschutztechnik
- University of Stuttgart, Germany
Thesis: The Use of Natural Heat as a Tracer to Quantify Groundwater Surface Water Interactions: Maules Creek, New South Wales, Australia
This degree is comparable to a Master of Environmental Engineering Science