To ensure Australia is at the forefront of international best practice, the Centre has enlisted experts across academia, government and industry to provide advice, assist with networks and identify potential opportunities and challenges for the Centre.
Four key groups will advise the Centre Director, including an International Scientific Reference Panel, a core-partners group and a Forest and Wood Products Australia/Industry Advisory Board. If you are interested in being involved in the committees, please email the Administration team FRIAdmin@usc.edu.au
The International Scientific Panel helps foster global research linkages. The group meets at the International Research Group on Wood Protection periodically. Members serve three-year terms. Members of the panel include:
- Dr. Tripti Singh, University of the Sunshine Coast, AUSTRALIA
- Professor Philip Evans, University of British Columbia, CANADA
- Dr. Lone Ross Gobakken, NIBIO, NORWAY
- Dr. Barry Goodell, University of Massachusetts, UNITED STATES of AMERICA
- Dr. Harry Greaves, (Consultant), AUSTRALIA
- Professor Holger Militz, University of Gottingen, GERMANY
- Dr. Alan Preston, Viance LLC (Retired), UNITED STATES of AMERICA
- Dr. Rod Sterling, FPInnovations, CANADA
- Dr. Robert Leicester, (Consultant), AUSTRALIA
- Professor Jeffrey Morrell (Oregon State University)
We look forward to the advice and involvement of our members
The Industry Technical Advisory Committee provides independent, expert oversight to ensure that the Centre’s strategy, research programs, and activities remain scientifically robust, industry-aligned, and impactful. The TAC acts in an advisory capacity to the Centre Director and funding partners.
- Mr Ian Blanden, Head of Research, Development and Extension (FWPA)
- Dr Gavin Matthew, CEO (EWPAA)
- Dr Trevor Innes, Chief Technical and Sustainability Officer, (Timberlink)
- Mr Kim Harris, General Manager-Technical (AKD)
- Mr David Belfield, Technical Services Manager (Wespine)
- Dr Ahsan Qureshi, Quality Assurance Manager (Wesbeam)
- Dr David Humphrey, Associate Director (Arxada)
- Mr Ben Munro, Technology Manager (Hexion)
- Mr Jack Norton, Secretary (TPAA)
We look forward to the advice and involvement of our members.
Core Partner Members
Members of the Core Partners Group include:
- Dr Tim Smith, Director Forestry and Biosciences RD&E, Horticulture & Forestry Science, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Professor Keith Crews, Director, Advance Timber Hub & Centre for Future Timber Structures, University of Queensland
- Dr Bill Leggate, Principal Research Fellow in timber engineering (Griffith University)
- Lesley Francis, Senior Research Scientist, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Dr Maryam Shirmohammadi, Principal Research Scientist, Forest Product Innovation, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Dr Chandan Kumar, Principal Scientist, Forest Product Innovation, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Dr Lisa Ottenhaus, Senior Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland
- Professor Sritawat Kitipornchai, Professor Structural Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland (UQ)
- Dr Gary Hopewell, A/Business Manager, Horticulture & Forestry Sciences, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Dr Robbie McGavin, Research Facility and Project Manager, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Q-DAF)
- Professor Phil Evans, Affiliate, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Mr Jack Norton, Affiliate, Timber Preservers’ Association Australia
- Mr Michael Powell, Affiliate, Bioteca,
- Mr Scott Kleinschmidt, Affiliate, Australian Timber and Pest
Our people
The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life brings together researchers from UniSC, University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries interested in creating a thriving research enterprise that engages scientists from around the world to collaboratively to address durability issues central to the use of timber in Australia.
Centre Members include:
- Professor Tripti Singh , Director, National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (UniSC)
- Dr Penelope Mitchell, Research Fellow, Timber Circularity Project (UniSC)
- Dr Luis Yerman Martinez, Research Fellow, School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland (UQ)
- Dr Martin Strandgard, Senior Research Fellow (UniSC)
- Mr Jack Norton, Research Assistant (UniSC)
- Dr Tengfei Yi, Post Doctoral Research Assistant (UniSC)
- Dr Helen Nahrung, Senior Research Fellow (UniSc)
- Dr Vilius Gendvilas, Research Fellow (UniSc)
- Dr Saip Nami Kartal, Affiliate, Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa
- Dr Kyra Wood, Affiliate, Durability Timber Design, University of Tasmania
- Dr Saeed Mahini, Affiliate, Civil engineering, QST Consulting Engineers
- Dr Melanie Harris, Research Assistant, (UniSC)
- Dr Linda Moss, PhD Candidate (Completed)
- Ms Elaine Galore, Masters Candidate (Completed)
- Dr Juan Vargas Garcia (Completed)
- Dr William Haigh (Completed)
- Mr Scott Kleinschmidt (Masters Candidate)
- Ms Mehrnaz Akbarnezhad ((PhD Candidate)
- Dr Wenxuan Wu (Completed)
- Mr Camilo Montoya Giraldo (PhD Candidate)
- Ms Zeinab Darabi (PhD Candidate)
- Mr Yuhao Zhang (PhD Candidate)
- Ms Claudia Roder (PhD Candidate)
- Paulo Silvares (PhD Candidate)
- Professor Jeffrey Morrell (Oregon State University)
- Kelly Stewart, Program Manager, Forestry Institute (UniSC)
- Kerri Salmon, Research Administration, (UniSC)
- Michelle Tapp, Research Administration, (UniSC)
- Alicia Gutierrez Brown, Senior Forest Research Communications Officer (UniSC)
Some of the research projects have established a steering committee to provide targeted oversight and ensure strong industry relevance and uptake.
1. Members of the Steering Committee: Project titled “Enhancing the FWPA Timber Service Life Prediction Model and Development of a New Online Platform”
- Chandan Kumar (Project Lead; DPI)
- Andrew McLaughlin (AKD)
- Bill Leggate (Griffith Uni )
- Christian Brischke (Thünen Institute, Germany)
- Harry Greaves (HG Consulting)
- Ian Blanden (FWPA)
- Jeff Morrell (Adelaide University)
- Keith Crews (UQ)
- Kyra Wood (UTAS)
- Tripti Singh (NCTDDL)
2. Members of the Steering Committee: Project titled “Continuation of Testing and Evaluation of the NCTDDL Long-Term Durability Field Trials”
- Stuart Meldrum (Project Lead; DPI)
- Kyra Wood (UTAS)
- William Leggate (Griffith Uni)
- Tripti Singh (NCTDDL)
3. Members of the Steering Committee: Project titled “Development of a Rapid and Accurate System for Treated Wood Quality Assessment”
- Adam Faircloth (Project lead; DPI)
- Phil Evans (University of British Columbia)
- William Leggate (Griffith University)
- Anna Sandak (Inno-Renew, Slovenia)
- Harrison Brooke (EWPAA)
- Chris Berkers (IVS Laboratories, NZ)
- Tripti Singh (NCTDDL)
4. Members of the Steering Committee: ARC Project titled “Role of moisture in the long-term performance of mass timber building elements”
- Tripti Singh (Project Lead, NCTDDL)
- Zidi Yan (NCTDDL)
- Paulo Silvares (NCTDDL)
- Tom Watts (Hyne Timber)
- Patrick Thornton (Loggo)
- Simon Dorries (Responsible Wood)
- Lily Tandeani (Tzannes)
- Marc Micuta (Tzannes)
- Keith Crews (UQ)
5. Members of the Steering Committee for the Timber Circularity Project
- Pene Mitchell (Project Lead, NCTDDL)
- Richard HyetT (AFPA)
- Gavin Matthew (EWPAA)
- Elias Akle, (Koppers)
- Kersten Gentle (FTMA)
- Ben Munro (Hexion)
- Ian Blanden (FWPA)
- Kat Welsh (FTMA)
- Keiran Vane (Azelis)
- Paul Oliver (Koppers)
- Tripti Singh (NCTDDL)
- Dr Andrew Leighton, CEO, Forest Wood Products Australia (FWPA)
- Professor Ross Young, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation, (UniSC)