David Airey is a professor at the University of Sydney. He has supervised many Master’s and PhD students on the topics of the behaviour of soil and rocks. His research aims to improve the understanding of the ground’s response to construction and excavation to better assess the risks, reduce costs and build longer-lasting infrastructure. He has taught several subjects such as Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering, Rock Engineering, Engineering behaviour of Soils, and Foundations of Soil Mechanics to undergrad and postgrad students. David is also on the editorial board of the Geotechnical Testing Journal, is a core member of TC29 a technical committee of the International Society for Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering concerned with pre-failure behaviour of geomaterials, and is a committee member of the Australian Geomechanics Society.

Mark Fowler is a Principal Engineering Geologist and the Managing Director of PSM. Mark has a Bachelor of Applied Science with honours In Geology and a Master of Engineering Science in Geotechnical Engineering both from UNSW. Mark has spent most of his 30 years working in consulting across the spectrum of geotechnics but specialises in slope design for open pit mines. Mark’s areas of special interest include complex and deep mine slopes, pore pressure assessment and depressurisation, hydromechanical coupling, instrumentation and remediation of unstable slopes. In addition to consulting, Mark lectures at the UNSW School of Mining for the master’s course titled mine slope stability.

As a geotechnical engineer, Elizabeth Barraclough has developed strong geotechnical design, analysis, management, and leadership skills. She has worked on a variety of projects, from concept through to detailed design, construction and post-construction assessment, and design review. Her experience includes geotechnical design of embankment and structure foundations, geotechnical model development, interpretation of material properties and parameters, field investigation and testing. She has been involved with analysis, reporting and review related to geotechnical design, monitoring and back analysis, investigation and interpretation. She is also a team lead within the Sydney geotechnical group.

Giovanny Alvarado is a senior leader with 22 years of Australian and international engineering experience including leadership, management, technical development, and delivery of major infrastructure projects including transportation (highways, rail, bridges, and tunnels), water, buildings, near-shore, and major site investigations. He leads teams that deliver innovative and practical engineering solutions while considering client needs, purpose, constructability, compliance with relevant regulations and standards, time and budget.

Anthony is an Engineering Geologist, with over thirty-eight years’ experience working in Australasia, the UK, Asia, and Southern Africa.  He is a Chartered Geologist, and Fellow of the Geological Society of London.  

After a brief career in gold mining and exploration, Anthony worked with Arup in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia for 24 years before establishing his own consultancy,  Bowden Geological Pty Ltd in 2013.

Anthony is the Australasian Vice President of the International Association of Engineering Geology and the Environment and is a member of the National Committee of the Australian Geomechanics Society.