I am a Research Fellow within UWA’s School of Engineering and School of Humanities, the latter being where I completed my PhD in 2023. My science communication thesis contributed to the underrepresentation of African perspectives and narratives on AI by investigating the use of smartphone filmmaking, African science fiction storytelling and design fiction to explore the intended benefits, unintended possibilities, and risks of human interactions with artificial intelligence in mental health contexts. I arrived at my research interests through my academic background in Biomedical Sciences at the undergraduate level and Science Communication at the Masters and PhD levels.

CRC for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME)

I am currently a research fellow for an interdisciplinary CRC TiME project exploring ‘Pit Lakes on Country’, led by Dr Chantal Bourgault du Coudray. The project focuses on the cultural, social, and interdisciplinary aspects of planning for the lakes that form in open pits after closure of mining operations. I investigate case studies on mine closure and rehabilitation to better understand the values and hopes for future pit lakes among First Nations peoples, community members and regulators. Additional expertise include designing communication materials that translate complex scientific and technological concepts for collaborative and multi-stakeholder activities aimed at stewarding mine closure and facilitating successful transition to sustainable regional communities and economies once mining operations cease.

As a significant contributor to the economies of Western Australia and broader Australia, the mining industry currently faces a critical point of reckoning with and addressing the environmental and social impacts of their operations. Simultaneously, mining industry estimations suggest half of Australia’s active mines will transition to the end of their operational life over the next 25 years. Whether planned or unplanned, mine closures can significantly impact the social and economic fabric, including the long-term resilience of the remote, regional, and First Nations communities where mining is the chief economic activity.

Consequently, sustainable planning that aims to facilitate social and economic transformation post-mining holds the potential for addressing some environmental and social challenges arising from mining operations entangled with colonial history and contemporary inequalities across Australia’s mining industry.

Specifically, pit lakes formed after mining closures could potentially provide valuable water resources for surrounding communities, but simultaneously pose safety and environmental hazards to those communities and their livelihoods. Understanding the possibilities and risks of reusing or repurposing open mine pits and pit lakes post-closure, including expectations, hopes, and values across stakeholders, will help support sustainable planning for mine closure and the successful transition to safe, thriving post-mining environments and communities.