Dr Pia-Johanna Schweizer
Dr. Pia-Johanna Schweizer is a leading expert in systemic risk and sustainability governance. Since 2016, she has led the “Systemic Risks” research group at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS, formerly IASS), where her work focuses on the intricate intersections of technology, society, and the environment. Her team explores the complex, uncertain, and ambiguous dimensions of systemic risks, such as those posed by climate change, identifying critical “trigger points” that can lead to cascading effects across societal subsystems. Their research informs innovative governance strategies designed to strengthen resilience and enhance decision-making in the face of uncertainty.
Dr. Schweizer holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Stuttgart, where she investigated discursive risk regulation. Her academic journey includes studies in Sociology and English/American Studies at the University of Stuttgart and the University of Aberdeen (UK). She has held research positions at the Institute of Social Sciences and the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Risk and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN) at the University of Stuttgart, as well as at DIALOGIK gGmbH. From 2013 to 2014, she was a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Systems Integration and Sustainability (CSIS) at Michigan State University, USA.
Dr. Schweizer brings a systems-thinking approach to contemporary challenges, making her a vital voice in the global conversation on sustainable transitions and risk governance.
Dr Jaqueline Gibson
Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson is a nationally recognised leader at the nexus of engineering, public health, and policy. She currently serves as the Department Head of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University’s Twisdale Family, where she has championed innovation, interdisciplinary research, and real-world solutions to some of the most urgent challenges facing society.
With a career bridging academia and high-level public policy, Dr. Gibson brings a unique perspective to the intersection of science, governance, and environmental justice. Prior to her academic tenure, she spent over a decade in influential roles, including Associate Director of the U.S. National Research Council’s Water Science and Technology Board, and as a senior policy analyst and liaison to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during her time at The RAND Corporation.
Her research tackles global challenges, from improving water infrastructure to protect public health in the U.S., to designing evidence-based environmental policy frameworks in the United Arab Emirates. A thought leader in risk analysis and sustainability, she currently serves as President of the Society for Risk Analysis and as an Associate Editor for Environmental Science & Technology, one of the leading journals in her field.
Dr. Gibson holds dual PhDs in Engineering and Public Policy and in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Environmental Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BA in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College.
With a deep commitment to advancing equitable and science-informed solutions, Dr. Gibson’s work continues to shape both scholarship and policy at the highest levels.
Professor Andrew Robinson
Professor Andrew Robinson is a leading authority on biosecurity risk analysis and applied statistics, serving as CEO of the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk Analysis (CEBRA) and Professor of Applied Statistics at the University of Melbourne. With a rare ability to bridge rigorous statistical science and real-world application, Andrew’s work informs national and international strategies to protect ecological and economic systems from biosecurity threats.
Since joining the University of Melbourne in 2005 from the University of Idaho, where he was Associate Professor in Forest Inventory and Biometrics, Andrew has become a central figure in advancing risk-based decision-making for biosecurity. His research focuses on national border biosecurity, applying statistical tools to analyse inspection and interception data, design surveillance systems, and develop performance metrics for regulatory agencies. His clear, evidence-based insights regularly shape both policy and operational practice.
Andrew holds a PhD in Forestry and a Master’s in Statistics from the University of Minnesota. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles, authored four books, and delivered more than 50 technical reports through ACERA and CEBRA. He is also an elected member of the International Statistical Institute, reflecting his global standing in the field.
Known for his wit and clarity, Andrew brings both depth and levity to complex subjects, evident not only in his academic work but also in his proudest career moment: a guest appearance on Street Talk for The Footy Show in 2006.
