Our Research Team

Peter Newman is the Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. Peter is an academic who has written 20 books and over 350 papers on sustainable cities with a global reputation and has worked to deliver his ideas in all levels of government. Peter has worked in local government as an elected councillor in Fremantle, in Western Australia’s state government as an advisor to three Premiers and in the Australian Government on the Board of Infrastructure Australia and the Prime Minister’s Cities Reference Group. He is the Co-ordinating Lead Author for the UN’s IPCC on Transport. In 2014 he was awarded an Order of Australia for his contributions to urban design and sustainable transport particularly for his work in saving and rebuilding Perth’s rail system. In 2018/19 he was the WA Scientist of the Year. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Springer journal Sustainable Earth.

Hugh Finn is a Lecturer in the Curtin Law School where he currently lectures in Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Environmental Law and Policy. Hugh’s research interests are in  legal and policy frameworks for climate change and wildlife conservation, environmental law and policy, and animal law. Hugh has worked previously as a wildlife biologist, and has conducted field research with marine mammals and black cockatoos. Hugh was the chairperson of the Environmental Defender’s Office of Western Australia (Inc) in 2019 and 2020.

Angelina is an Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Leader who is a PhD candidate exploring net zero precinct certification pathways for different urban fabrics in Australia to complement experience implementing ESG programs and projects, and an in-depth understanding of industry best practices and global regulatory environments. Angelina designed and established the ESG strategy, function and team structure for the Crown Resorts Group, and managed their ESG compliance obligations. These included National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting, NABERS ratings, Climate Active reporting, Green Star reporting, single use plastic bans in WA, Victoria & NSW, the Australian Packaging Covenant and Modern Slavery reporting requirements. Angelina is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand has more than 20 years of experience in tax across various jurisdictions around the world.

As Director of Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, Peta brings over thirty years of experience working in senior management and research including having established and led the Science into Society Group (SISG) within CSIRO’s Division of Earth Science and Resource Engineering. Well known for her expertise in the energy field, communication and stakeholder engagement and technology assessment. She has been researching public attitudes to climate and energy technologies for the past decade and grew up on a farm in the south west of WA where her love of nature grew from a young age.

Dean bridges the gap between research and the market, specialising in digital disruption across sectors as diverse as transport, telecommunications, media, health and transport. He co-founded telecommunications vendor QPSX and directed the CSIRO Lab which earlier created fast Wi-Fi. He also co-founded the Smart Services Cooperative Research Centre and was appointed Director Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics at National ICT Australia (now CSIRO Data 61). Dean later joined Telstra as Chief Technology Officer for Products, working across many parts of Telstra with a special interest in future transport technologies and was also appointed Chief Transport Strategist.

Dr Himanshu Agrawal serves as a Senior Lecturer at School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Science, Curtin University specialising in networking and security. He earned his PhD from RMIT University, and has focused his career dedicated to advancing knowledge in networking, Internet of Things (IoT), applied AI/ML, Simulation and Modelling and Privacy Preservation.

Dr Agrawal’s academic journey included a Visiting Associate Professorship at IoT Lab, Swinburne University of Technology (2019-2020) collaborating on a CRC-P with Prof. Dimitrios Georgakopoulos. Since joining Curtin in 2020, he has been recognised as a multi-disciplinary research investigator, contributing to research grants totalling to $3.5 million including significant projects like RACE 2030-NZP ($2.8 M) and Healthy Connections($607K). His research work is cited over 1000 times (Google Scholar, h-index 18) in more than 60 papers alongside a patent (Grant-Pending) for ‘Drown Support System’. He also serves as an editorial board member with MDPI and Frontiers in IoT journals.

Ben is an experienced project engineer and researcher focused on sustainable energy systems and urban planning. His work and research focuses on DER hosting capacity, renewable energy projects, sustainable cities, and providing technical assessments and policy recommendations. With a background in electrical devices and electricity systems, he has designed turnkey solar-battery powered off-grid devices, consulted on building efficiency improvements, and investigated the nexus of electricity and transport systems. His academic and industry experience includes leading international solar projects, such as designing, constructing, and deploying solar-battery devices for civil, security, and aviation applications, including developing the world’s first solar-battery powered runway closure X-signal system. He has also conducted research with the Curtin University Sustainable Policy Institute, investigating the impact and future of the electrification of transport and the role of DERs in Australia on behalf of various governments and the RACE 2030 CRC, making him a valued consultant in the energy sector.

As Director of Curtin Institute for Energy Transition, Peta brings over thirty years of experience working in senior management and research including having established and led the Science into Society Group (SISG) within CSIRO’s Division of Earth Science and Resource Engineering. Well known for her expertise in the energy field, communication and stakeholder engagement and technology assessment. She has been researching public attitudes to climate and energy technologies for the past decade and grew up on a farm in the south west of WA where her love of nature grew from a young age.

Rob Weymouth is a specialist in sustainability governance, with over 15 years’ experience designing and leading inclusive, systems-based approaches to embedding sustainability in public institutions. With a PhD focused on deliberative democracy and political trust, Rob’s expertise lies in building governance frameworks that enable just, effective, and collaborative transitions to sustainability. He has worked extensively with local governments, state agencies, and research institutions to co-design strategic plans, participatory processes, and impact measurement systems that align with long-term sustainability goals. Rob has co-led major initiatives such as the PATREC Climate Action Research Program and has authored influential peer-reviewed work on collaborative governance, participatory planning, and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. His facilitation and consulting practice is grounded in practical experience, academic rigor, and a deep commitment to democratic renewal. Rob brings proven leadership in convening diverse stakeholders to create governance systems capable of responding to today’s complex sustainability challenges.

Annolies Truman (BA, DipEd, MATS, MCouns) is a counsellor, educator and environmentalist with a long history in sustainability and person-centred engagement. She has worked as a Waste Reduction Officer at South Sydney Council, facilitated community education in sustainability and taught permaculture to high school students and adults. Annolies has worked with First Nations, CALD and other diverse populations. She has managed teams in educational and health-care settings. She has designed and delivered a staff wellbeing program in a tertiary hospital. As part of her counselling practice, Annolies runs eco-distress workshops and offers group and individual counselling for people grappling with the ecological crisis and supervision for those working in the area. Annolies is involved in community environmental initiatives, including Nannine Common community garden and Beacon Net Zero. She is researching NZP governance, drawing on lived experience and concepts of user engagement and energy democracy.