Nation: Walbanja Woman, from Yuin Nation with Dharawal Nation Kinship ties. Vice Chancellor Indigenous Research Fellow University of Wollongong.

Jodi has been in the field of Cultural Education for the past 30 years and 28 years within Aboriginal Education, Training and Research. She has been involved in many Aboriginal research projects of which she has gained hands on and working Cultural Knowledges such as fish netting, canoe making and possum skin cloaking. Some of which are on display in the Museum of Australia, Sydney.

Jodi has been involved with Aboriginal research in along the East Coast, and Aboriginal Fishing practices in the Illawarra and South Coast which she has completed a chapter in her PhD Weaving the past into the future. The continuity of cultural practices in the Yuin and Dharawal Nations. Her new research Unbroken Whispers – The ripples connecting Sea-Kin is documenting the symbiotic relationships between Aboriginal people and Sea-Kin. Connecting the Cultural Important Areas for Sea – Kin to re-awaken cultural practices and knowledge sharing in SE Australia. The research is connecting Science, Song, Dance and Language with Land, Sea and Sky and Women’s Cultural and environmental practices. Jodi has a Masters in Language Education and a Graduate Diploma in Natural Cultural Resource Management which fuelled her passion to share Cultural knowledges and practices especially Aboriginal languages for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Jodi has presented at International, National, State and local Conferences on Aboriginal Cultural connections in the Marine Science space, Cultural Arts, Aboriginal languages and engaging with Aboriginal communities.

Professor Kerrylee Rogers is a leading researcher in the School of Earth, Atmospheric, and Life Sciences at the University of Wollongong, where she also serves as the Director of the Environmental Futures Research Centre. Her work focuses on advancing interdisciplinary understanding of how coastal ecosystems and landscapes respond to climate change and human activities. With a foundation in applied environmental science gained during an appointment with the New South Wales Government, she has cultivated strong industry partnerships and fostered collaborations that bridge academia and practice. Following a transition to higher education, Professor Rogers has been instrumental in mentoring the next generation of coastal scientists. Her research, supported by funding from the Australian Research Council and industry stakeholders, blends applied and basic science to address pressing environmental challenges in the coastal zone. She has published widely in high-impact scientific journals and contributed to international initiatives, including leadership of an Asia-Pacific regional collaboration project with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and as an expert for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Her contributions to science have been recognised with prestigious awards such as the Australian Academy of Science’s Frederick White Medal and the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Environmental Research, which highlighted her pioneering work on the role of sea-level rise in enhancing coastal carbon storage. With a deep commitment to coastal sustainability, Professor Rogers champions collaborative, impactful research that strengthens the resilience of coasts, bringing together academic, governmental, and industry stakeholders to drive meaningful environmental change.

I am a 16 year old naturalist and wildlife enthusiast/ photographer from the Eurobodalla in year 12. I have been surveying, photographing and spending time out in the bush with our native wildlife for a couple years now, and have been honoured to have a part in the conservation of a parcel of old-growth sclerophyll forest at Meringo. The land, located in a critical area vulnerable to habitat fragmentation serves as a base for education and study, and is an ongoing project which I look forward to assisting with in the coming years.