People
Professor Ian Anderson
Professor Ian Anderson is the Director of the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre and leads the direction of the Centre's research, engagement and training programs. Ian is also the Director of the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and has overseen the enormous growth and achievements of the Institute since 2011. Full profile »
Contact: (02) 4570 1125 or email on i.anderson@westernsydney.edu.au.
Distinguished Professor David Tissue
Distinguished Professor David Tissue is the lead researcher at the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre, responsible for the direction of the research program in production, operations and the solar glass program. David has been at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment since 2007 and is a leading plant physiologist. Full profile »
Contact: 0420946174 or email on d.tissue@westernsydney.edu.au.
Professor Oula Ghannoum
Oula holds a BSc (Honours) in Plant Biochemistry and a PhD in Plant Physiology. She worked as an ARC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University before joining the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University where she is currently an Associate Professor in Plant Science. Oula is passionate about addressing the twin challenges of ‘Food Security’ and ‘Climate Change’. Her research aims at discovering novel ways to sustainably improve crop yield by enhancing water use efficiency and manipulating sugar perception in plants. Oula is also developing improved approaches for growing more nutritious vegetables with less energy, water, and chemical input under protected cropping. She is leading a multi-disciplinary project ‘Crop Monitoring’ which aims to develop affordable and user-friendly sensing and imaging solutions to monitor crops in near-real time. Full profile »
Contact: (02) 4570 1581 or email on o.ghannoum@westernsydney.edu.au.
Professor Zhonghua Chen
Professor Zhonghua Chen leads the Centre's programs in tertiary education and student engagement, with responsibility for the interactions between students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the Centre. Zhonghua has been at the University since 2011 and is based in the School of Science and Health. Full profile »
Contact: (02) 4570 1934 or email on z.chen@westernsydney.edu.au.
Professor James Cook
Professor James Cook leads the Centre's research programs in pollination and insect-plant interactions, with connections to the Hort Frontiers research on pollination using native bees for protected cropping environments. James is the Theme Leader for the Plants-Animals Interaction research theme at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Full profile »
Contact: 0447682450 or email on james.cook@westernsydney.edu.au.
Doctor Nisha Rakhesh
Dr Nisha Rakhesh is responsible for all aspects of industry and partner engagement within the Centre, and aims to develop industry-focused solutions for connecting the capabilities of the Centre to the needs and issues of the horticultural industry. Doctor Nisha Rakhesh also manages the direction of research programs; developing new solutions that connect industry and research to the Centre. Nisha has been the Research Advisor at the the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment since 2013. Full profile »
Contact: 0431407360 or email on n.rakhesh@westernsydney.edu.au.
Doctor Sachin Chavan
Doctor Sachin Chavan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre with involvement in the solar glass research program. Sachin completed his PhD at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment in 2017. Full profile »
Contact: (02) 4570 1913 or email on s.chavan@westernsydney.edu.au.
Doctor Michelle Mak
Doctor Michelle Mak is an Associate Lecturer in Horticultural Sciences, teaching Advanced Greenhouse Technology and similar subjects in the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs.
Dr Michelle Mak was elected as one of the new Directors of Protected Cropping Australia in early 2021. Protected Cropping Australia (PCA) is the peak industry body representing commercial hydroponic and greenhouse growers Australia wide.
Contact:Email on m.mak@westernsydney.edu.au.
Doctor Wei Liang
Doctor Wei Liang is the Senior Technical Officer (Crop Management) at the Centre, responsible for all aspects of planning, growth and delivery of the crop production programs at the Centre.
Contact: 0401689757 or email on w.liang@westernsydney.edu.au.
Goran Lopaticki
Goran is the Facility Coordinator at the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre. Goran is responsible for the day to day operations of the facility and secure conduct of the teaching and research cropping trials.
Contact: 0423 730 129 Email on g.lopaticki@westernsydney.edu.au.
REDI Business Team
All business development enquiries can be directed to the REDI Business Development on redi@westernsydney.edu.au.
Contact: redi@westernsydney.edu.au.