People

Jessica Beck completed a B.Eng. degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch in Stellenbosch, South Africa. She started her PhD shortly afterward at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney. Jessica’s thesis deals with the analysis of industrial systems for sustainability. The analysis focuses on the assessment and integration of systems to improve the use of resources. The resulting framework is aimed at supporting corporate decision making and governmental policy analysis for enhanced resource efficiency.

Ruud Kempener completed his MSc degree in Technology and Innovation Policies at the University of Technology in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. During his studies he followed an MSc degree in Energy Economics and Policy at the University of Surrey in the UK. Ruud started his PhD at the school of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering at the University of Sydney in 2004. His PhD focuses on the social aspects of industrial networks, innovation and sustainability. He works on the development of frameworks and tools to identify and understand the complex interaction of the functional and social aspects of industrial networks and its impact on the evolution of these networks. The insights are used to assist in the development and design of sustainable industrial networks.

Brett Cohen has an undergraduate and PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He has a wide range of experience in environmental management and sustainability strategy issues, having worked both in academia and in the private sector. His current work focus includes the development and implementation of tools for the support of complex decision making and strategic planning towards sustainable outcomes in industrial and infrastructure networks. The complex systems models and tools which are developed account for significant numbers of interactions and multiple uncertainties in the prediction of actor behaviour and network outcomes when perturbations to the systems are made. His work in this area draws on experience from chemical process engineering, multi criteria decision analysis techniques, network theories, natural systems and economics to develop robust and defensible system models. His specific focus areas are the application of such tools in the electricity supply, water supply and minerals sectors.

Jim Petrie is Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Sydney, where he also serves as Director of CRESTA, the Centre for Risk, Environment, Systems Technology and Analysis. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. At Sydney, he leads a research group whose interests are centered on Engineering for Sustainability. Specific focus areas include Environmental Systems Analysis, based on Life Cycle Thinking, Decision Support for complex decisions characterised by multiple objectives under risk and uncertainty, Process Modelling and Technology Development. Much of this work has been in support of primary industries and infrastructure, including minerals and metals, power generation, water and waste industries. He consults widely to the resources sector in both South Africa and Australia. He is a Chartered Engineer (UK), and a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.