DPCM 2016
 

Keynote Speakers


Prof. Michael Bruen 

Michael Bruen is  Professor of Environmental Hydrology at UCD School of Civil Engineering,  Director of the UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research and a member of the UCD Earth Institute. He is a Chartered Engineer, Associate Editor of the Journal of Hydrology, and Chairman of the Irish Committee for UNESCO’s IHP and ICID.

Graduated as an Engineer from UCD in 1975, his subsequent Ph.D. on catchment modelling was supervised by Jim Dooge and his first post, outside of UCD, was lecturing at the International Hydrology Postgraduate Course set up in UCG by Eamon Nash where he spent his early years lecturing and doing research on hydrological modelling. He helped transfer that postgraduate programme to the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, and coordinated it there for five years. He also worked in Zimbabwe and developed collaborations in many African countries, e.g. Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda and in India and China. He ran a UNESCO hydrology training course in Zimbabwe and contributed to other courses run by WMO, CEFIGRE and to IUCN projects in Africa.

His main research interests are in the field of Water Resources Engineering, in particular i) Computer methods and modelling in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering; ii) Surface water and groundwater supply and protection from contamination; iii) Effects of climate change on water resources; iv) Catchment models and flow forecasting,  erosion and water quality modelling; and v) Applications of multi-criteria decision support methods (MCA), public participation in environmental decisions  and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Water Resources Engineering. He has been Principal Investigator on a range of EU and nationally funded research projects and is author of over 160 publications of various types. He has a special interest in water issues in the developing world. 



 Dr. Dennis Collentine 

Dr. Dennis Collentine is an environmental economist. He currently is employed at Gävle University in Sweden and is a guest researcher in the Department of Soil and the Environment at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. He has worked for 14 years with interdisciplinary research related to evaluation of environmental policy with a particular emphasis on the impact of agri-environmental measures on water quality. Over the years he has worked extensively with policy evaluation on assignments from the Swedish EPA, Water District Authorities, the Swedish Board of Agriculture, Stockholm International Water Institute, Swedish County Boards and national and European research programs. He has been responsible for evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of agri-environmental measures in Sweden under the EU RDP Axel 2 program (Final Evaluation 2000-2006, Midterm Evaluation 2007-2012, Final Evaluation 2007-2013) and recently completed a tender for DG-Environment on the implementation of Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) under the WFD. Other EU projects include the FP7 project TEAMPEST with a focus on the use of bio-economic models to evaluate the environmental impact at the local and regional scale of taxes on pesticide toxicity and the cost effectiveness of agri-environmental measures in the EU Interreg program Baltic Compass. He has served as an expert on review boards for national and international programs dedicated to IWRM and water quality improvement. For the last 4 years he has been a member of the management board for the research group SLU Water HUB and works in the program with the catchment modelling group on development of DSS for assessing the effectiveness of agri-environmental measures using integrated modelling tools.

 

Dr Matthew Crowe

Matthew Crowe was appointed in March 2010 as a Director of the EPA with responsibility for the Office of Communications and Corporate Services and is currently Director of the Office of Evidence and Assessment. Prior to being appointed Director, Matthew had worked within the EPA since 1995 in a variety of roles. Prior to joining the EPA he worked in Vancouver, Canada, for five years, conducting contract research in applied environmental sciences. Matthew holds a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in biochemistry from University College, Dublin.





Dr Karen Daly

Dr. Karen Daly is a Research Officer within the Crops Environment and Land Use Department of Teagasc at Johnstown Castle Wexford.  She holds a degree and MSc. in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin, and a Ph.D. in Soil and Catchment Science (Trinity College, Dublin).  Previous positions held include Environmental Chemist in the Central Laboratories of Dublin City Council with responsibilities for analysis and reporting of water quality data.  Since joining Teagasc, her research interests have included soil nutrient cycling and the fate and transport of agricultural nutrients at various scales (plot, field and catchment).  Karen has worked as project leader on a number of large-scale projects addressing  topics such as, diffuse pollution from agricultural sources, catchment scale models and risk assessment schemes,  as well as process-scale soil nutrient cycling in agricultural systems.  Her interest in soil also extends to soil spectroscopy, soil quality and soil mapping and her work has included collaboration among 50 scientists across 6 universities.


Justin Dunning 

Justin Dunning manages sales and marketing operations within Chelsea Technologies Group Ltd, a manufacturer of in-situ sensors and systems serving the Water, Marine Pollution and Process Control markets.  He originally worked within the engineering department of Chelsea Instruments Ltd as a Mechanical Engineer and Marine Systems Manager.  He has a depth of experience in applying sensor technology to a wide range of markets (Oceanographic Research, Environmental Monitoring, Maritime, Process Engineering, Life Science), and provides the ability of translating user requirements to robust fit-for-purpose sensor solutions.




Dave Foster

Dave is Director of Regulatory and Natural Resources Policy with responsibility for policy and legislation in relation to environmental regulation, natural resources (including air, water and biodiversity) and agri-environment. Dave was previously Director of Environmental Protection with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and has also worked for the Environment Agency for England and Wales in a variety of operational and policy roles. He is a biologist by training, having studied at Birmingham and Leicester Universities.

 



Dr Hubert Henry 
Hugh joined the semi-state company, Bord na Mona, in 1990, to work on a range of development projects focusing on wastewater treatment. He was asked to take on the new position of Director of Innovation and R&D in 2008. His remit in this role is to consolidate Innovation management, with the primary objective of developing and embedding a co-ordinated R&D and business Innovation approach across the company. The organisation‘s strategic vision signifies an innovative transition from traditional businesses, heavily dependent on peat and fossil fuels, to a new, more sustainable businesses focused on better resource recovery, renewable energy, biomass and sustainable space heating. Market led Innovation management is a key enabler in BnM becoming this new responsible company for the betterment of all its stakeholders.Dr Henry holds a B.Sc. (Hons) primary degree, a Ph.D post graduate degree, a post graduate Diploma in Business Finance and is a chartered scientist. He is a professional member of many technical bodies. In addition, he is currently an active member of numerous national and international technical and commercial groups which are engaged in promoting the application of innovation management in enterprise. He is also a published author having recently published a text book, ‘Everyday Innovation’, on the subject.


Dr Eleanor Jennings

Dr Eleanor Jennings is director of the Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology.  She has extensive research experience in freshwater systems in Ireland and globally.  Her main areas of interest are nutrient cycling and modelling of catchment and in-lake processes, including climate change impacts. Her current research topics include dissolved organic carbon in humic systems, assessment of faecal indicator bacteria in sediments, effects of cattle exclusion from streams on water quality, and use of high frequency data to inform near real-time modelling of lake state. She is a member of GLEON (Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network), chair of EU COST ACTION NETLAKE (Networking Lake Observatories in Europe), and coordinator of the upcoming MANTEL (Management of Climatic Extreme Events in Lakes & Reservoirs for the Protection of Ecosystem Services) Innovative Training Network.




Prof Phil Jordan

Phil Jordan is Professor of Catchment Science, School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University. His research areas focus on the dynamics and fate of nutrients and sediments at catchment scale and agri-environmental policy. Much of this work in recent years has been related to the capture and analysis of high-resolution environmental data. Phil is a former Head of School at Ulster University and has also held the role of Principal Scientist with the Teagasc Agricultural Catchments Programme since 2009 and continues as a Teagasc Hosted Researcher. 







Prof Mary Kelly-Quinn 

Associate Professor Mary Kelly-Quinn is a lecturer in University College Dublin where her research is focused on the assessment of land-use and other anthropogenic activities on the hydro chemical and ecological quality of fresh waters. She has completed studies on the aquatic habitats of agricultural, urban and forested catchments. Her research on forest-water interactions spans three decades and a recently completed project (HYDROFOR) investigated pollutant inputs from forestry operations through the life cycle of the forest. Recent grants are funding multi-institute research on silt flux in Irish rivers, impact on rivers of cattle access and on freshwater ecosystem services. The overall objective of the latter is to harness the knowledge and tools required to embed the ecosystem services approach into policy and decision-making for sustainable management of water resources. Another recently initiated project will develop a validated methodology for prioritising selection of barriers for modification or removal to improve hydromorphology and connectivity in freshwater systems. Her research has yielded over 130 peer-reviewed publications and numerous reports. 


 Dr Harry R. Kolar
Dr. Kolar is an IBM Distinguished Engineer with IBM Research focused on environmental monitoring and management.  He has worked across several IBM divisions in technical, management, and executive roles to advance cross-industry application of new technologies, including advanced analytical methods, information and knowledge management, pervasive/embedded real-time intelligent systems, and sensor-based, cyberphysical systems.  Dr. Kolar currently leads a team of IBM researchers on The Jefferson Project at Lake George, NY, an integrated environmental observatory and modeling system.  Dr. Kolar was also the lead architect for the SmartBay Galway project with the Marine Institute of Ireland and a technical advisor for the River and Estuary Observatory Network (REON) at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries in New York.  Dr. Kolar holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the science and engineering of materials.  He is an Adjunct Professor of Physics at Arizona State University and a District Advocate for the American Physical Society at the U.S. Congressional level.




Dr Ralf Kunkel

Ralf Kunkel joined the Research Centre Juelich in 1993 to work in the field of modelling and management of catchments. His research interests are in the development of models to balance and forecast water and nutrient fluxes on the level of Federal States and river basins and to identify "hot spot" areas for the introduction of nutrient reduction measures to reach quality targets for groundwater and surface. The research results provide scientific support for the emerging issues of water policies in Germany and beyond, e.g. for implementing the EU Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Since 2008 he coordinates data management of the TERENO initiative of the Helmholtz-Foundation and extended his field of work to open sensor web and distributed spatial data infrastructures implementation. Ralf Kunkel holds the degree of a Diploma Physiker and a Ph.D of natural sciences. He is author or co-author of more than 64 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 12 monographs and more than 100 contributions to books, conference proceedings or other publications. Since 2009, he is member of the management board of the Specialist Group for Diffuse Pollution and Eutrophication of the International Water Association (IWA).



Anthony McCloy

Anthony is managing Director of McCloy Consulting overseeing offices in Belfast and Dublin. As a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of Engineers Ireland, he retains a technical ‘hands on’ role providing specialist advice on flood risk, hydrology and sustainable drainage. Working across a range of sectors he has provided his consultancy services to schemes widely ranging in location from the highlands of Scotland to the metropolis of London.  

Anthony is nationally recognised for his contributions in the field of Sustainable Drainage and regularly speaks at conferences and seminars. As a leading specialist, he has been a lead tutor for the National SUDS training workshops over a 10 year period, with 100+ courses delivered across UK, Ireland and Europe. He has contributed to National and Local Guidance, particularly concerning practical design issues, numerical computation processes and management of SuDS. 

Presently, Anthony is involved in the design of innovative SuDS retro-fit schemes, coordinating of several integrated urban drainage modelling studies and is co-authoring a SuDS design and evaluation guide for 15 separate local authorities.


Prof Bruce Misstear

Bruce Misstear is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering and a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. He is a specialist in groundwater resources. His research activities include the investigation of flow pathways of diffuse agricultural pollutants, the impacts of domestic wastewater systems on private wells and the effects of changing climate on groundwater recharge. Bruce is the author or co-author of more than 150 journal papers, books, research reports and conference papers, including the international textbook Water wells and boreholes (the second edition is scheduled for publication early in 2017). Prior to joining Trinity College in 1995, Bruce worked as a consultant hydrogeologist, becoming head of the Groundwater Department of Consulting Engineer Mott MacDonald and a Director of the firm's Environment and Water Resources Division. During this period he undertook groundwater resources projects in UK, Nigeria, Sudan, Oman, Burma, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Libya. He has continued his interest in international groundwater development, and was part of the Uganda Water is Life research project team between 2008 and 2014. Bruce is both a Chartered Geologist and Chartered Engineer. In 2012, he was elected a Vice President of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.


 Dr Alec Rolston

Alec Rolston is a research associate at the Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland. Alec completed a PhD at the National University of Ireland Maynooth in 2003 and has subsequently undertaken research and environmental management work in both Ireland and Australia.  From 2009-2012 Alec worked for the South Australian Government managing research and monitoring activities in a Ramsar-listed large lake and wetland system at the terminus of Australia’s largest river, the Murray.  Since returning to Ireland in 2012, Alec has been involved with a number of environmental, water and catchment management projects, including the Tellus Border Project, drinking water source protection assessments for Group Water Schemes, and two EPA Ireland-funded projects: Towards Integrated Water Management (TIMe); and ‘Developing the concept of catchment services for progress towards integrated water management (Extra TIMe)’. Alec’s research interests include integrated catchment and water resources management,community engagement, wetland ecological processes and aquatic invertebrate ecology.



 Prof Chris Saint

Chris Saint took up the position of Director at the Centre for Water Management and Reuse in July 2011 moving from SA Water Corporation where he was Research, Development and Innovation Manager and Principal Microbiologist.  In April 2016 he was appointed Divisional Dean for Research & Innovation at UniSA.  Chris is also Director of the China Australia Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, a joint initiative with Tianjin University, China. He has over 30 year’s postgraduate experience in broad areas of water science including: cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), microbiological detection methodologies (including field/on-line monitoring); taste and odour issues; water treatment; wastewater microbiology and pathogens in catchments.  Recent involvement has also included issues regarding wastewater re-use and stormwater capture and harvesting. Chris and his research team have received numerous water research related awards. Chris has published over 150 refereed scientific papers, is Chief Editor of Water Conservation Science & Engineering and an Editor of 2 international microbiology journals. He is also a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts. 



 Dr Patricia Torpey

I graduated in 1995 and went on to complete a PhD which was focused on the impact of agriculture on water. I’ve been working with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for the past 17 years and the majority of that time has been spent contributing to and developing policies that improve farming efficiencies, therefore strengthening the relationship between productive farming and conservation of our water environment. These include the Nitrates Regulations, EIA(Agriculture) Regulations, agri-environmental schemes, freshwater pearl mussel conservation, agri-environmental indicators and river basin planning. I collaborate closely with many national stakeholders including Teagasc, the Environmental Protection Agency, Inland Fisheries Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife Service, a number of government departments and farming organisations; I also represent the DAFM internationally at EU and OECD levels. I recently established a ‘Water Network’ within the DAFM, the aim of which is to guide, co-ordinate and communicate what the DAFM and its Agencies are doing to protect and enhance water. I contribute to monitoring progress under Food Wise 2025, the vision for growth in the agriculture sector in Ireland, to ensure that we are maximising our economic competitiveness, while at the same time ensuring environmental protection.