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Professor Kate O'Brien

Professor

School of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
k.obrien@uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 53534

Overview

Professor Kate O'Brien applies modelling and data analysis to explore sustainability challenges in engineered, ecological and human systems. Sustainability is a wicked problem which requires integration, synthesis and communication of complex ideas across different disciplines. Professor O'Brien works with a diverse network of local and international collaborators, from academia, government and industry, to tackle important questions such as: In restoring valuable coastal habitat, what is the minimum patch size required for success, and why? How much oil can individual fossil fuel producers extract without compromising global climate targets? Why is gender equality in the workplace so hard to achieve? She uses modelling as a tool to connect ideas across traditional disciplinary boundaries to promote innovation and tackle complex, open-ended problems. Professor O'Brien is the Director of Teaching and Learning in the UQ School of Chemical Engineering, and is passionate about teaching students critical thinking and other transferrable skills needed to lead the shift from the current "take-make-waste" paradigm to genuine sustainability. She teaches new academics to take a practical, student-centred approach to teaching called "Ruthless Compassion", and she is passionate about finding creative solutions to work-family conflict.

Research Interests

  • Environmental systems modelling and analysis
    Sustainability is a wicked problem, characterized by high uncertainty, divergent values and complex interactions within and between social, economic and ecological systems. Applying a systems approach and working in interdisciplinary teams as an environmental engineer, I apply a collection of modelling tools across a range of scales to address the question, how can resources be utilized more sustainably? In practice, this means improving our ability to value, manage and restore environmental systems, ensuring that they can continue to provide the ecosystem services on which our societies depend. My research has three key themes: Water-energy-climate-nutrient nexus; Socio-ecological resilience; Education.

Research Impacts

Recent outputs include:

Water-energy-climate-nutrient nexus

Socio-ecological resilience

Education

  • What really matters in engineering education, and why don’t we do more of it?
  • Applied dimensional problems in mathematics courses can improve mathematical problem-solving skills of engineering students
  • An ecological footprint for an early learning centre: : identifying opportunities for early childhood sustainability education through interdisciplinary research

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Western Australia
  • BSc, The University of Queensland
  • BE, The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Grants

View all Grants

Supervision

View all Supervision

Available Projects

  • To buy, borrow or mend? Assessing the potential of sharing and repairing consumer items as a path to sustainability

    The “sharing and circular economy” has influenced practices in many sectors over the past decade. For example, there has been a growth in the sharing and repairing of consumer products, through various mechanisms, e.g. tool libraries and repair cafes. While these models have been viewed by many as sustainable alternatives to productivism and consumerism, the costs and benefits of have not been assessed.

    The purpose of this project is to quantify and compare the social, economic and environmental impacts of producing, owning, sharing and repairing common consumer items, in order to assess the sustainability potential of the sharing economy.

  • Is there a business case for family-friendly career paths?

    This project will investigate the business case for more diverse career paths for professionals in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Specifically, the project will explore how flexible work arrangements (including part-time work and career breaks) affect career opportunities, and under what conditions flexible work arrangements provide benefits in business (to employees and employers) and academic (to staff, research groups, faculties and universities). A range of methodologies are available to the candidate, including interview methods, surveys, data analysis, implicit bias assessment and mathematical/systems modelling. An honours undergraduate degree or masters in science, economics, engineering, social science, psychology or another suitable field is essential. Applicants must have excellent critical thinking skills, demonstrated expertise in quantitative research, and ability to analyse and synthesize information from across a range of disciplines. The successful applicant must obtain a UQ scholarship for domestic students, International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) or equivalent, and will receive $ 5 000 per annum top-up scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded for 3.5 years.

  • Modelling sustainable water extraction in Northern Queensland

    Freshwater flow and nutrient inputs from catchments into the Gulf of Carpentaria effect estuarine productivity, with flow-on effects on fisheries species, and endangered species. Thus sustained water extraction has the potential to impact the estuaries, and associated ecosystems and economies. Water development is underway in some of these catchments, with plans for further development. In river systems worldwide, unsustainable water extraction has had major impacts on water quality and quantity.

    The purpose of this PhD is to assess how water development in surrounding catchments will affect the health of socio-ecological systems associated with the Gulf of Carpentaria. The project will have four key components: 1. Charactering the system through analysis and synthesis of existing data from the three river catchments and estuaries; 2. Development of a conceptual model for the estuary which includes key processes for health and productivity of socio-ecological systems, including interactions and feedbacks affecting resilience; 3. Engagement with a variety of stakeholder groups, using participatory modelling to collect knowledge from diverse sources; 4.Quantifying critical thresholds for health, productivity and resilience of key socio-ecological systems. Where current knowledge is insufficient to identify thresholds, a method to collect that information will be identified.

    The project will engage with a team of experts from Griffith University (Professor Michele Burford) and Queensland Government agencies

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book Chapter

  • The seagrasses of Moreton Bay Quandamooka: Diversity, ecology and resilience

    Maxwell, Paul, Connolly, Rod, Roelfsema, Chris, Burfeind, Dana, Udy, James, O'Brien, Kate, Saunders, Megan, Barnes, Richard, Olds, Andrew, Hendersen, Chris and Gilby, Ben (2019). The seagrasses of Moreton Bay Quandamooka: Diversity, ecology and resilience. Moreton Bay Quandamooka and catchment: past, present and future. (pp. 279-298) edited by Ian R. Tibbetts, Peter C. Rothlisberg, David T. Neil, Tamara A. Homburg, David T. Brewer and Angela H. Arthington. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Moreton Bay Foundation.

  • Seagrass Resistance to Light Deprivation: Implications for Resilience

    O'Brien, Katherine R., Adams, Matthew P., Ferguson, Angus J. P., Samper-Villarreal, Jimena, Maxwell, Paul S., Baird, Mark E. and Collier, Catherine (2018). Seagrass Resistance to Light Deprivation: Implications for Resilience. Seagrasses of Australia: Structure, Ecology and Conservation. (pp. 287-311) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_10

  • Seagrass dynamics and resilience

    Connolly, Rod M., Jackson, Emma L., Macreadie, Peter I., Maxwell, Paul S. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2018). Seagrass dynamics and resilience. Seagrasses of Australia: structure, ecology and conservation. (pp. 197-212) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_7

  • Seagrasses in the South-East Australian Region - Distribution, Metabolism, and Morphology in Response to Hydrodynamic, Substrate, and Water Quality Stressors

    Ferguson, Angus J. P. , Scanes, Peter R. , Potts, Jaimie D. , Adams, Matthew P. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2018). Seagrasses in the South-East Australian Region - Distribution, Metabolism, and Morphology in Response to Hydrodynamic, Substrate, and Water Quality Stressors. Seagrasses of Australia: Structure, Ecology and Conservation. (pp. 419-444) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_14

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Governance of coastal wetlands: Building resilience in the face of change

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Enabling a Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Water Cycle

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

  • Net Zero Carbon Water

    Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • To buy, borrow or mend? Assessing the potential of sharing and repairing consumer items as a path to sustainability

    The “sharing and circular economy” has influenced practices in many sectors over the past decade. For example, there has been a growth in the sharing and repairing of consumer products, through various mechanisms, e.g. tool libraries and repair cafes. While these models have been viewed by many as sustainable alternatives to productivism and consumerism, the costs and benefits of have not been assessed.

    The purpose of this project is to quantify and compare the social, economic and environmental impacts of producing, owning, sharing and repairing common consumer items, in order to assess the sustainability potential of the sharing economy.

  • Is there a business case for family-friendly career paths?

    This project will investigate the business case for more diverse career paths for professionals in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Specifically, the project will explore how flexible work arrangements (including part-time work and career breaks) affect career opportunities, and under what conditions flexible work arrangements provide benefits in business (to employees and employers) and academic (to staff, research groups, faculties and universities). A range of methodologies are available to the candidate, including interview methods, surveys, data analysis, implicit bias assessment and mathematical/systems modelling. An honours undergraduate degree or masters in science, economics, engineering, social science, psychology or another suitable field is essential. Applicants must have excellent critical thinking skills, demonstrated expertise in quantitative research, and ability to analyse and synthesize information from across a range of disciplines. The successful applicant must obtain a UQ scholarship for domestic students, International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) or equivalent, and will receive $ 5 000 per annum top-up scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded for 3.5 years.

  • Modelling sustainable water extraction in Northern Queensland

    Freshwater flow and nutrient inputs from catchments into the Gulf of Carpentaria effect estuarine productivity, with flow-on effects on fisheries species, and endangered species. Thus sustained water extraction has the potential to impact the estuaries, and associated ecosystems and economies. Water development is underway in some of these catchments, with plans for further development. In river systems worldwide, unsustainable water extraction has had major impacts on water quality and quantity.

    The purpose of this PhD is to assess how water development in surrounding catchments will affect the health of socio-ecological systems associated with the Gulf of Carpentaria. The project will have four key components: 1. Charactering the system through analysis and synthesis of existing data from the three river catchments and estuaries; 2. Development of a conceptual model for the estuary which includes key processes for health and productivity of socio-ecological systems, including interactions and feedbacks affecting resilience; 3. Engagement with a variety of stakeholder groups, using participatory modelling to collect knowledge from diverse sources; 4.Quantifying critical thresholds for health, productivity and resilience of key socio-ecological systems. Where current knowledge is insufficient to identify thresholds, a method to collect that information will be identified.

    The project will engage with a team of experts from Griffith University (Professor Michele Burford) and Queensland Government agencies

  • Recalcitrant resilience: barriers to sustainability in socio-ecological systems

    Resilience is the ability of a system to bounce back after disturbance such that core structures and functions are not lost. Resilience is often presumed to be desirable, but that’s not always the case: many entrenched problems are difficult to resolve because the current (unsatisfactory) state is resilient. The health of social and ecological systems is therefore dependent on both their current state and their future trajectory, i.e. their resilience.

    This project explores two intractable problems which exhibit “recalcitrant resilience”, i.e. where change is desired but the status quo is resilient. This approach is based on the recognition than many of the complex challenges facing the world are “wicked problems”, i.e. are complex, contested and subject to high uncertainty. Traditional technocratic solutions are insufficient to address such problems: finding a “solution” and implementing or communicating it is ineffective when key stakeholders have contested certitudes and conflicting world views.

    This project will use participatory modelling and engagement with stakeholders to examine how resilience in social systems inhibits progress in two social-environmental issues: catchment management in the Great Barrier Reef and ocean plastics pollution. Five aspects of resilience will be used to synthesize barriers to sustainable practices: Diversity; Resistance; Recovery; Adaptability and Responsiveness. These attributes of resilience synthesize current knowledge of socio-ecological resilience in a form in which they can be assessed in social systems which are “stuck”. Through analysing five key components of resilience, the project will characterize what makes each situation so “sticky”, and how change might become possible. From this regional issue, the insights will then be applied to a global environmental problem.

    The project will be co-supervised by Dr Angela Dean (UQ/QUT Environmental Social Scientist). Dr Paul Maxwell and Dr Tracy Schultz from Alluvium Consulting will act as external advisors on the project.

This staff member is a UQ Expert for media in the following fields:

Women in STEM, Sustainability, Engineering Education

They are happy to lend their expertise to your articles or broadcasts and share their research discoveries and insights with the community via media channels.

For additional assistance with story ideas, general advice and information or help with seeking further experts, please email the UQ Media Team or telephone (07) 3365 1120.

Links

ResearcherID: J-3198-2014

ORCID: 0000-0001-8972-9161

Scopus ID: 7202076951

Google Scholar ID: F4lphMT0z5gC

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