Our people

Researchers at the AUT Applied Disaster and Risk Research Centre (ADARR) are focused on developing innovative participatory frameworks and that help capture community knowledge and enable dialogue with outside agencies. Their expertise draws on many years of research and practical experience across a wide range of disaster and risk contexts.

Founding members

Research associates

Ansh Anshuka

Ansh Anshuka (she/her) is a Lecturer in the School of Science at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney. Her research focuses on the pathway from hydrometeorological hazard prediction to risk-informed decision-making. She combines artificial intelligence techniques, including machine learning, with systems-based approaches such as agent-based modelling to investigate climate extremes, including floods, droughts, and cyclones, and to understand how hazard information shapes decisions by households, communities, and institutions. Through this work, she aims to bridge the gap between hazard prediction and action by developing approaches that support more effective, evidence-based policy.

Dr. Jake Rom D. Cadag

Dr. Jake Rom D. Cadag is a geographer, university professor, and disaster risk reduction specialist at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Associate Dean for Research, Extension, and Publication of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. He earned his PhD in Geography and Spatial Planning and his master’s degree in Social Sciences and Humanities from Université Paul Valéry–Montpellier III in France. He completed his BS Geography in UP Diliman.

Jake has led research, training, and technical assistance projects in the Philippines and has undertaken fieldwork in France, Indonesia, and Cape Verde. His publications examine vulnerability, participatory mapping, disaster knowledge, inclusive risk reduction, and the decolonization of disaster studies. Central to his work is the meaningful participation of groups often excluded from conventional risk assessment and planning, including children, women, older persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and low-income communities. He is particularly interested in whose knowledge counts, who participates in defining risk, and how disaster scholarship can become more plural, grounded, and useful. He believes that academics like him become prisoners of universities when scholarship starts and ends in the University, and is detached from practice, and that meaningful engagement with people and communities offers one way of breaking those walls.

In 2025, the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines recognized him as an Outstanding Young Scientist for his contributions to geography, spatial planning and disaster risk reduction.

Ksenia Chmutina

Ksenia Chmutina is a Professor of Disaster Studies at Loughborough University, UK. Her research focusses on the processes of disaster risk creation in the context of neoliberalism. It brings together qualitative research, critical theory and participatory methodologies to generate transdisciplinary understanding of disasters as socio-political processes. Ksenia has conducted research in the UK, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, China, and the Caribbean, working with policymakers, non-governmental organisations, industry, and marginalised communities. A core part of her activities is science communication: Ksenia is a co-host of a popular podcast ‘Disasters: Deconstructed’.

Dr. Rodrigo Figueroa Sterquel

Dr. Rodrigo Figueroa Sterquel is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Geography of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), Chile, where he leads the Laboratory of Tourism and Coastal Governance. He holds a PhD in Regional Planning and Territorial Development from the University of Barcelona (Spain) and is a Historian and Professor of History and Geography from PUCV. His main research interests include disaster risk geography, coastal zone management and governance, spatial planning, and sustainable tourism in socio-environmentally fragile environments. He has led and collaborated on various national and international projects focused on assessing vulnerability and resilience to natural hazards and climate change, including joint initiatives with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) on participatory mapping for disaster prevention. Furthermore, he served as President of the Chilean Tourism Researchers Society (SOCIETUR) between 2021 and 2023, and has an extensive track record of scientific publications and public policy advisory work.

JC Gaillard

JC Gaillard is Ahorangi o te Matawhenua / Professor of Geography at Waipapa Taumata Rau / The University of Auckland and Research Fellow of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute. He serves as editor of the journal Disaster Prevention and Management and sits on the Board of Directors of the NGO Center for Disaster Preparedness. His work focuses on power and inclusion in disaster and disaster studies. It includes developing participatory tools for engaging minority groups in disaster risk reduction with an emphasis on cultural and gender minorities, people in detention, and children. JC collaborates in participatory DRR trainings with local governments, NGOs and other civil society organisations. More details from: https://jcgaillard.wordpress.com.

Graham Hinchliffe

Graham Hinchliffe is a geospatial professional and Senior Research Officer in the School of Science at AUT. Bringing a decade of UK private-sector experience prior to joining AUT in 2015, Graham specializes in UAV remote sensing, field mapping, and advanced geoprocessing, skills that can support disaster risk reduction and community resilience across Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

His applied research focuses on developing field techniques for drone-captured spatial video and Full Motion Video (FMV), enabling low-cost, accurate spatial mapping of dynamic landscapes and coastal environments. Graham’s work spans multispectral point cloud analysis, virtual reality (VR) visualization, and gamification strategies such as the use of Minecraft for participatory risk mapping.

Dr Mick Kearney

Dr Mick Kearney is a marine and environmental scientist specialising in drowning prevention, aquatic risk management, and environmental hazard assessment. He holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and an MSc (Honours) in Marine Sciences from the University of Auckland. Currently Inland Safety and Engagement Manager at Drowning Prevention Auckland, and formerly National Coastal Safety Manager at Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Mick has extensive experience in applied research, drowning incident investigation, coastal and freshwater risk assessment, and evidence-based prevention strategies. His work focuses on understanding how environmental hazards, human behaviour, infrastructure, and community preparedness influence drowning risk. His academic background includes postdoctoral research, marine and fisheries science, tertiary lecturing, and postgraduate supervision. He also brings over three decades of operational surf lifesaving and emergency response experience. As a Research Associate with AUT’s Applied Disaster and Risk Research (ADARR) Centre, Mick brings specialist expertise in drowning prevention within the broader context of disaster risk reduction, community resilience, and public safety. His research interests include environmental risk assessment, prevention through design, community rescue capability and translating research evidence into practical interventions that strengthen preparedness, inform policy, and reduce drowning risk across marine, coastal, and freshwater environments.

Jonatan Lassa

Jonatan Lassa is a disaster and climate risk scientist committed to translating knowledge and science into public safety, resilience, and risk-informed decision-making. His work bridges non-economic loss and damage (NELD), development, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction, with a particular focus on how climate change and disasters affect culture, identity, place, wellbeing, and social relationships alongside material losses. In collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC), he advances research and practice on NELD across the Pacific, while also working on systemic risk and cascading hazards in support of regional disaster management and planning, including with the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre). His research integrates governance, social science, and risk analysis to strengthen the connection between evidence, policy, and practice. He earned his PhD from the University of Bonn, where his doctoral research introduced the concept of disaster risk governance. As a Senior Disaster Risk Scientist at Earth Sciences New Zealand, he has extensive experience across the Pacific and Southeast Asia, promoting inclusive and integrated approaches to managing climate and disaster risks and helping communities, governments, and institutions navigate increasingly complex and interconnected risks.

Stacy Vallis

Stacy Vallis, Ph.D., is a lecturer specialising in architecture for disaster resilience to natural hazards and climate change, informed by emerging digital technologies, based at Huri Te Ao School of Future Environments, AUT. Since completing her doctoral studies in 2020 at the University of Auckland focused on seismic retrofit of unreinforced masonry buildings, Stacy worked in professional practice in Australia prior to completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital Futures at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Over the course of her career, Stacy has developed a passion for governance and evidence-based advocacy to inform decision-making. Between 2020-2023, she completed a term as an elected Board Member of the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage sites across the world based in Paris, France. She is the current elected President of the National Committee, ICOMOS Aotearoa New Zealand. Stacy also serves as co-leader for the Systems & Communities Research Centre in the School of Future Environments, and she is a member of the Governance Group for the AUT Transformational Technologies Research Network. During 2025, she led an interdiscplinary Faculty-funded research project 'From Perception to Action: Resilient Urban Neighbourhood Flood Preparedness'.

Professor Deepthi Wickramasinghe

Deepthi is a Senior Professor in the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. She brings more than three decades of university experience across biodiversity conservation, pollution studies, wetland ecology, climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.

Deepthi is one of the pioneers of disaster management education in Sri Lanka, bringing a strong science-based perspective to the field. Her work connects ecological science with policy and practice. Nationally, she has served on expert panels advising Parliament, the National Research Council and government ministries on environmental issues. Internationally, she has contributed to water governance and disaster management, and she is a member of SAADRI.

As Director of the Quality Assurance Cell for Science at the University of Colombo, she has worked to strengthen academic standards. She designed Sri Lanka’s first external degree in Environmental Management and Sustainability and has led numerous career guidance and soft-skills initiatives for students.

Deepthi has supervised many PhD and MSc students, published widely in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research at international conferences. She maintains active international research collaborations. Her work has earned several Presidential and University Senate Awards for Excellence in Research, as well as national and international honours for her conservation and community outreach projects.

Community associates

The ADARR Centre is proud to count the following people as Community Associates.

Anita Fraser

Anita is the Senior Community Planning and Readiness Advisor at Auckland Emergency Management. She has been with Auckland Council 15 years and worked in a variety of positions across regulatory services. This includes roles in Pollution Response, Environmental Health and Compliance and Investigations. In 2021 Anita completed a master’s degree in Disaster Risk Reduction and Development with AUT University. Anita’s masters research focused on New Zealand Disaster Risk Reduction Policies and Homelessness, placing particular emphasis on examining how New Zealand’s disaster response policies impacted the COVID-19 response for those experiencing homelessness. As of 2023, Anita has moved into a role with Auckland Emergency Management focusing on building community resilience through comprehensive disaster response planning. Anita is also one of Auckland Emergency Management’s Duty Managers, monitoring and assessing threats, risks and incidents that could lead to emergencies or disasters across the Auckland region.

Rizan Rizkiandi

Rizwan Rizkiandi, commonly known as Pawan, is a disaster risk management, Anticipatory Action, and community resilience practitioner based in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. He works with the Consortium for Study and Development of Participation (KONSEPSI NTB) and the Indonesian Humanitarian Partner Network (Jejaring Mitra Kemanusiaan/JMK), bringing experience in programme management, applied research, community empowerment, humanitarian response, and policy advocacy related to community-based disaster risk reduction and climate resilience. His professional focus includes the development of early warning and early action systems, the integration of local and traditional knowledge into disaster preparedness, participatory assessments of community vulnerability and capacity, and the advancement of inclusive, gender-responsive humanitarian approaches. He has contributed to various initiatives in collaboration with KONSEPSI NTB, OXFAM, the Penabulu Foundation, the Indonesian Red Cross (Palang Merah Indonesia), the Australian Red Cross, SIAP SIAGA, and other humanitarian partners. In addition to his field experience, Pawan has contributed to the development of technical guidelines, anticipatory action protocols, disaster management plans, learning products, and scholarly publications on disaster risk reduction and community resilience. With an academic background in sociology and management, he bridges social perspectives, community-based practice, and applied research to strengthen disaster preparedness and promote locally led approaches to risk reduction.

Mark Trüdinger

Mark Trüdinger is Regional Recovery Manager for Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management. Mark was a co-founder of the Recovery Specialists’ Network of Aotearoa and the Trans-Tasman Recovery Learning Community of Practice (LEARNZA) and is convenor of the Community Wellbeing Recovery Network. In addition to his professional role, Mark guest lectures in Recovery for the University of Auckland, AUT, and Charles Sturt University, and is a peer reviewer for Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal.

Members of the steering committee

For its inaugural term, the AUT Applied Disaster and Risk Research Centre (ADARR) steering committee is comprised of its four founding members and a research assistant acting as secretary. After the inaugural term, members of the steering committee will be elected by ADARR’s members.

Further guidelines will be provided about six months prior to the term’s end.

Postgraduate research profile