Luxton Memorial Lecture

Alison Reeve is the Energy and Climate Change Program Director at Grattan Institute. She has two decades of experience in climate change, clean energy policy, and technology, in the private, public, academic, and not-for-profit sectors.

Alison was previously the General Manager of Project Delivery at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. She led development of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy in 2019, as well as Commonwealth policy for offshore wind, energy innovation, energy efficiency, and structural adjustment.

Alison has a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Public Policy with distinction from the Australian National University.

Susan has worked in the Australian renewable energy and broader sectors for more than two decades. She is a Director of Jeanes Holland and Associates (JHA) and a former Director of The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

She works with industry, research organisations and governments to build relationships and foster collaboration on shared goals. She develops pathways for reaching agreed outcomes from differing perspectives.

She understands the political environment and how governments develop a national interest view. She has previously held the roles of inaugural CEO of the Australian Geothermal Energy Association (AGEA), and of the Renewable Energy Generators of Australia (REGA). Prior to 2002, she was the Climate Change and Energy Advisor to former Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill and the Member for Kingston in the Federal Parliament.

Gus Nathan is a Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide, a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Combustion Institute and Engineers Australia, a recipient of a Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council and an ATSE KH Sutherland medallist. He was the bid leader for, and is now the Research Director of, the national $215m Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre, the HILT CRC. Overall, he has led the development of six technology platforms, three of which are in ongoing commercial use and include the flame for Sydney Olympic Relay Torch, while three are currently being upscaled to decarbonise heavy industry.

His work in hydrogen includes the development of a novel methane pyrolysis platform in partnership with 1414 Degrees and a low NOx hydrogen combustion industrial burner with FCT. He has developed two novel concentrating solar thermal technologies to TRL-4 and contributed to understanding of the viability of the direct use of concentrated solar thermal energy for industrial process heat. He has published more than 300 papers in international journals, 250 in peer reviewed conferences, 50 commissioned reports and 13 patents.

Melissa is a Professor and ARC Future Fellow, Human Geography and Coordinator, FAME Sustainability Strategy. Her research investigates the connection between people and the environment and she focusus on how to engage communities to be part of environmental decision making, particularly in the context of climate change and biodiversity protection. She has worked with Indigenous, ports, local government and fishing communities on a range of projects. These projects have examined how conflict, social and cultural values, knowledge, social learning and perceptions affect how people become involved in or help drive environmental sustainability.

Her most recent work explores how different communities can adapt to climate change. This has included developing adaptation strategies for Indigenous peoples, looking at how urban areas can be ‘greened’ and the ways in which fisheries can be made more resilient and responsive to climate threats and she is currently working on an ARC Future Fellowship that investigates how different knowledges can work together to address biodiversity and climate change impacts.

The Memorial Luxton Lecture is presented by the Centre for Energy Technology and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources in honour of Professor Russell Escourt 'Sam' Luxton, FTS, FIEAust, FAIE, FRSAMC, FRSA (1933-2013).

Professor Luxton was a truly remarkable person, who made significant contributions to the national energy direction in recommending the establishment of the National Energy Research, Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC), a precursor to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). He was also a national leader in the engineering and education professions, through his roles as Professor and Head of the University of Adelaide’s School of Mechanical Engineering and a champion for progress along the path to a cleaner energy future through the twin pillars of innovative technology development and policy initiatives.