The Centre Board has responsibility for the overall strategic direction of the Centre and oversees its operations. It has oversight of the Centre’s strategy, governance, and compliance.

Graeme Rowley (Chair)

Graeme Rowley brings a wealth of operational talent to Board deliberations and strategy development. Until recently, Mr Rowley held the position of Executive Director Operations at Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), a company he helped establish with Andrew Forrest, and with which he remains a non-executive member of the FMG Board. Prior to joining FMG in 2003, Mr Rowley worked in a number of senior executive roles for Rio Tinto Ltd, following a distinguished career in the Royal Australian Air Force spanning some 20 years.

Professor John Pluske BSc (Agric) (Hons) PhD
Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Murdoch University

John Pluske is Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Research at Murdoch University, the Administering Organisation of the NCEDA. In this role he oversees the research enterprise of the University. In addition, he is involved in a wide variety of research activities including production and animal research, companion animal research, animal biosecurity and health, and wildlife biology and systems.

Professor Vicki Chen BSc (Hons) PhD
Director, UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology
Director of Teaching and Learning, School of Chemical Sciences, University of New South Wales

Vicki Chen graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1983 and the University of Minnesota with a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1988. After working as a research associate and research fellow at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, she joined the academic staff in 1996 as a lecturer. She is currently a Professor within the School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at the University of New South Wales and has been the Director for the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology since 2006.

Professor Chen’s current areas of research interests are: colloidal and macromolecular deposition in membrane systems, membrane bioreactors for water and wastewater treatment, pretreatment and fouling in reverse osmosis, natural organic matter removal using hybrid processes, membrane cleaning and integrity, membrane modification and fabrication, and gas separation for removal of greenhouse gases. In addition to projects supported by the Australian Research Council in membrane bioreactors and membrane cleaning, she currently has projects with the CRC for Polymers, CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies and DEST international linkage project with the European Union 6 Framework Program in Advanced Desalination.

Professor Max Lu PhD FTSE
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
Foundation Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials, University of Queensland

Max Lu was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Queensland in June 2009. Previous to this he was Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) from April 2009, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Linkages) from October 2008, a position that was held in a 50 percent capacity while retaining his role as Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Functional Nanomaterials – a role he has held since 2003.

After completing his PhD, Professor Lu spent three years in Singapore as Lecturer at Nanyang Technological University. Upon his return to UQ in 1994, he has held the positions of Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor and Chair of Nanotechnology in Chemical Engineering. In 2003, he was awarded his first ARC Federation Fellowship, which was followed immediately by a second awarded in 2008. His areas of expertise include the synthesis and molecular engineering of nanomaterials such as inorganic nanoparticles, carbons, nanoporous materials and membranes, and environmental technologies relevant to the energy-water nexus. With over 390 journal publications in high impact journals including Nature, JACS, Angew Chem, and Adv Materials; he is also co-inventor of 18 international patents. Professor Lu is an ISI highly cited researcher in materials science with over 6900 citations (with h-index of 44). He has received numerous prestigious awards nationally and internationally including the Orica Award, RK Murphy Medal, Le Fevre Prize, ExxonMobil Award, IUMRS Young Scientist Award, Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in Australia (2004) and Top 50 Most Inspiring Chinese in the World (2006). He is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) and Fellow of The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE).

Professor Lu formerly served as the DEST Research Quality Framework Chair of Engineering and Technology Panel 2007, on Expert Advisory Groups of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (2004, 2005), and as an ARC College of Experts Panel member (2002-2004). He has been Chair of the PMSEIC Thematic Cluster on Science as an Engine for Innovation, is the immediate past Chairman of the IChemE Australia Board, and former Director of the Board of ATSE. His other committee memberships include the Advisory Board of CSIRO Flagship for Future Manufacturing, Uniseed Management Board of Directors, Management Board of the ARC Nanotechnology Network, and the Queensland China Council.

Keith Cadee BEng (Hons) (Civil) MEng (Environmental)
General Manager, Acquisition Group, Water Corporation

Keith Cadee has 35 years of experience in Government-run water services and regulatory bodies. He currently works for the Water Corporation, a Western Australian Government corporation that manages the operation of metropolitan water sources, water treatment, water distribution, and the treatment, re-use and disposal of wastewater. In Mr Cadee’s current role he is responsible for water and wastewater treatment, drinking water quality management, water production and water recycling. He is also responsible for research and innovation at the Water Corporation.

Mr Cadee is an engineer and has a Masters of Engineering (Environmental) from the University of Florida. He is a member of the Water Services Association of Australia’s Water Quality and Health Committee, and is a Board Member (and Interim Chair) of Water Quality Research Australia Limited (from October 2007). He is a Member of the Institute of Engineers Australia, the Australian Water Association and a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr P. (Dharma) Dharmabalan DTech MEng (Environmental) Dip.H.Delft GradDip (Comp) BSc Eng (Civil) (Hons) WE (Vic) FIE (Aust.) CPEng FICE (UK) FASCE (USA) MIWEM (UK) MAWA (Aust.)
General Manager (Planning & Infrastructure), Coliban Water

Dharma Dharmabalan has worked in the water industry in Australia since 1989 and has experience in planning, design, construction and operations of major water and desalination infrastructure projects. He has been associated with the planning and delivery of many projects for Barwon Water, Central Highlands Water and Coliban Water. Dr Dharmabalan currently manages more than 50 staff comprising Program Managers, Project Managers, Project Engineers, Consultants and Contractors to deliver $214 Million worth of capital works projects for Coliban Water’s Water Plan 2 (2008-2013). He is also experienced with differing modes of project delivery such as Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, Project Alliance model and Design and Construct models.

Dr Dharmabalan has been an Australian Water Association committee member for more than 15 years, is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers UK, USA and Australia and has been an industry supervisor for Masters and PhD students. He is also a Director of Water Quality Research Australia Ltd, an Adjunct Professor of the Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University and is an Auditor and Skill Examiner Drinking Water Quality Management Systems, RABQSA International.

Adam Lovell BSc(Hons), Masters of Environmental Engineering Science
Executive Director, Water Services Association of Australia

Adam Lovell has a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and a Masters of Environmental Engineering Science from the University of Sydney. Mr Lovell’s current role is A/Executive Director and previously he was Manager Science and Sustainability at the Water Services Association of Australia. In that role he led and facilitated the development of national water utility strategy, policy positions and research direction in areas including climate change adaptation and mitigation, water quality and public health, energy management, and sustainability. Prior to this Mr Lovell was a senior program manager with the Science and Technology team at Sydney Water and through that role was a member and Deputy Chairman of the CRC Water Quality and Treatment Board, and a member of the inaugural Water Quality Research Australia Board.

Mr Lovell is a member of the NHMRC Water Quality Advisory Committee and the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines Reference Group (ADWGRG). He is also a member of the reference group for the NWC Urban Water Quality Reform initiative. Through his role at WSAA, he chairs numerous steering committees for national research projects. Mr Lovell is also the Drying Climates Leader for the IWA Climate Change Specialist Group and a member of the IWA Specialist Group on Water Recycling.