I graduated from UCD in 1991 with a PhD in fluvial geomorphology- which involved work on the role of floodplains in storing sediments and heavy metal contaminants in the Wicklow Mountains. I was awarded an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship and left for Australia very shortly after submitting my PhD where I took up a position at the University of Wollongong and later the Australian National University to investigate the long-term environmental changes in Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest Salt Lake. Following this period of adventure into the arid landforms of Australia I joined CSIRO, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific Research Organisation and lead a program of research on catchment hydrology and water quality in forestry environments. I subsequently took up teaching positions in several Australian Universities where I was responsible for teaching, research, and leadership. Over the past 5 years, I have worked extensively with Industry Partners to help better understand real-world challenges such as extreme flood events and droughts in the light of a changing climate. I have a passion for inspiring others through teaching, protecting the world’s rivers, and indeed,  life in general. Returning to Ireland after over three decades away is a wonderful new adventure and I look forward to contributing my skills and passion to the existing wealth of expertise in the School of Geography at UCD.