Staff Profile
Doctor Cris Brack |
 |
|
On February 2nd 2009, Dr Cris Brack took leave from The Australian National University to become Professor and the inaugural Chair of Forestry at the Waiariki Institute of Technology in Rotorua, New Zealand. The School of Forestry, Wood Processing and Biotechnology within the Institute has a long history of teaching Diploma students in forest management, operations and wood processing, but was keen to increase its research and academic potential. Cris's 14 years experience in developing the research and teaching of forest measurement and management in The Australian National University make him ideally suited to help develop the Institute's potential in this area. Cris completed his undergraduate B.Sc.(for)(hons) degree at Australian National University in 1982 then worked in the biggest plantation district in NSW. After promotion to Forest Inventory Officer for the Forestry Commission of NSW, he designed inventories and information systems for NSW. Following a PhD in Canada he returned to Australia as Senior Inventory Officer for State Forests of NSW with responsibility for supporting management of plantations and multiple-use native forests. He joined ANU Forestry in June 1994. Cris subsequently undertook extensive research and consultancy work throughout Australia as well as New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesian, PNG, Germany, South Africa and USA. Cris’ most significant research contributions to forestry science have been the development of optimal sampling strategies, modelling tools, and decision-support systems for trees and associated biota at stand, landscape and continental scales. This research integrates his knowledge of and innovation in applied statistics (for sampling), data acquisition (from remotely sensed imagery and ground-based surveys), modelling (of tree and stand dynamics), and expert and decision-support systems (as integrating methods). This research has broad application in both natural, plantation and urban environments, and is novel in its integration of quantitative and qualitative information; it has significant national and international standing as a result. The research has been influential in development of the National Carbon Accounting System for Australia (winner of the prestigious Eureka Environmental Science Award, 2008), and in catalysing the development and adoption of new inventory, modelling and management approaches by forest and land managers and policy makers. Over the last 14 years, Cris developed and coordinated of 1st, 2nd, and senior undergraduate level courses covering topics including: Biological Measurement; Ecological Measurement; Society and Environment Research Methods; Ecological Measurement and Modelling; Forest Mensuration; Sustainable Forest Planning; Sustainable Forest Management; and Modern Techniques of Forest Inventory. This teaching has been recognised as being innovative and very effective and received numerous nominations for Excellence in Teaching Awards, including the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2006) and a Carrick Institute Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (2007). He is also active in National and International Research Working Groups on Forest Measurement and Information Systems; Inventories on Successive Occasions; Improving Education and Further Education in Forestry. |
