Dr Rachael Quill

Dr Rachael Quill investigated the variability of wind in the context of fire spread, completing her PhD in 2017. By adopting a statistical approach, Rachael analysed the variability of wind direction and strength, working towards a characterisation of wind over complex terrain which enables understanding of uncertainty around the drivers of fire spread. Better modelling of this uncertainty can feed directly into fire spread models, allowing fire behaviour analysts and managers to make more informed decisions. The application of these statistical analyses can be used to evaluate the spectrum of wind prediction models used for bushfire modelling over rugged landscapes.

Rachael was active with the CRC throughout her PhD, presenting findings at the CRC Research Forum in 2016 and making it through to the University of New South Wales finals for the Three Minute Thesis competition in 2015. Rachael also presented her work overseas at conferences in France and Scotland, and wrote articles for Wildfire and Fire Australia. Her PhD findings featured in Hazard Note 53 – Capturing the variability of wind for modelling the variability of bushfires.

Rachael was chosen to represent the CRC as an early career researcher at the 2018 Science at the Science Dome, run by the Australian Academy of Science. She is now a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne investigating wind farm power production, after previously lecturing in probability and statistics at the University of Adelaide.

Rachael's thesis is available here.