We are honoured to announce that The Honourable Susan Close MP, South Australia’s Deputy Premier, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, will officially open MODSIM2025. Susan Close has been a strong advocate for climate action, environmental sustainability, and scientific innovation, playing a pivotal role in shaping policies that support these critical areas.
Plenary Speakers
We are delighted to welcome Professor Craig Simmons, South Australia’s Chief Scientist, as our Sunday plenary speaker. A world-renowned hydrogeologist and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Simmons has made significant contributions to groundwater research, water resource management, and environmental sustainability.
Our Tuesday plenary will be presented by Dr Nigel McGinty, Chief of the Human and Decision Sciences Division of the Defence Science and Technology Group. The division consists of over 290 scientists, technologists, and engineers and spans human performance, optimising decision-making, core operations analysis, modelling, simulation, and war gaming to support the design of the Australian Defence Force.
Our Wednesday plenary will be presented by Professor Lucy Marshall, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Community and Leadership), The University of Sydney. Professor Lucy Marshall is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Community and Leadership) at the University of Sydney, where she leads the strategic direction for culture, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the institution. An accomplished researcher, Professor Marshall was an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow from 2013 to 2018. She held the position of Director of the Water Research Centre from 2020 to 2022 and served as Deputy Director of the ARC Industrial Training Centre in Data Analytics in Resources and Environments from 2020 to 2025. Her contributions to environmental modelling and simulation have been recognised by the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MSSANZ), where she is a Fellow, and she received the International Environmental Modelling and Software Society’s Biennial Medal for Excellence in Research in 2020.