Curtin University has announced the appointment of Professor Chris Moran, as Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, commencing in August this year.
Professor Moran is currently Professor and Director, Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI), at The University of Queensland (UQ), a position he has held since 2007. The Institute comprises seven discipline-based research centres and is one of the largest entities of its kind in the world.
Previously, Professor Moran was Founding Director, Centre for Coal Seam Gas (UQ) and Founding Director, Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (UQ). Across a 16 year career with CSIRO, he held a range of leadership roles, including heading the team that developed the Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Program.
Professor Moran has been a Board Member of five Cooperative Research Centres. In the International domain, he was Director of the International Mining for Development Centre, and established an International Centre of Excellence for the mining industry in Chile.
He holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences (with Honours) and a PhD from the University of Sydney and has a strong international and national reputation for his research and expertise in soil science (digital image processing), natural resources (spatial modelling and statistics) and water management. Professor Moran has published widely in scientific literature and the broader media.
In his current role as Director of SMI, his primary objective was to connect the multiple disciplines involved in minerals and energy to meet the challenges of demand and supply into the future. Professor Moran intends to expand this theme of connectivity of disciplines as the Curtin Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research.
Curtin Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry said she was delighted with the appointment, and looked forward to welcoming Professor Moran to the senior leadership team at Curtin.
“His expertise and experience will ensure we continue to both strengthen our research profile and build the critically important links with industry that will be so essential to our performance and reputation for the future,” Professor Terry said.
Professor Moran said he felt privileged to have been asked to join the team at Curtin University.
“I am looking forward to developing more strategies to help deliver Curtin’s vision to become a research intensive university and create a better tomorrow,” Professor Moran said.
Curtin’s current Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Graeme Wright, is retiring from the University in mid-2016.
