Megan Lewis

Megan Lewis

School of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.


I am the Immediate Past President of Earth Observation Australia, Australian Co-Chair of the Coordinating Board of the Asia Oceania Group on Earth Observation (AOGEO), Chair of the CSIRO NovaSAR-1 Steering Committee and a member of the TERN Scientific Advisory Committee.

I was Head of the School of Biological Sciences from 2017 - 2019, having previously served as Associate Head (Research Education) in the School of Biological Sciences (2015-16), Coordinator of the Sciences Faculty ERA submission (2012 and 2015), Associate Dean (Research) and Associate Dean (Future Students) in the Faculty of Sciences from 2010-15 and earlier Head of the Soil and Land Systems Discipline (2003-06). I was leader of the SA Node of AusCover, the remote sensing data facility within NCRIS TERN (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, 2011-2018).

I have an extensive background in remote sensing, vegetation ecology, and environmental science and management, with many years of experience in teaching, postgraduate supervision and research at the University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Agricultural College, and the South Australian College of Advanced Education.

I was a member of the ARC College of Experts (2016-18) and of the New Zealand Royal Society Centres of Research Excellence Expert Selection Panel Member (2020). In addition I was a Sessional Commissioner in the SA Environment, Resources and Development Court (2001-20), and have served on numerous government advisory bodies including the SA National Parks and Wildlife Council, Wilderness Advisory Committee and the Development Policy Advisory Committee.

My research is in Earth observation: using remote sensing (from satellites, aircraft, lab & field instruments, and now drones) to document, analyse and monitor landscape composition and variation in space and time.

Contexts for this work are Australian arid and semi-arid environments, native vegetation, wetlands and agriculture.

I specialize in

  • hyperspectral sensing for discriminating and mapping vegetation, soil and water properties, and
  • assessing environmental condition and monitoring of environmental change with multi-temporal imagery.

I collaborate with government agencies, ecologists and environmental managers to develop new remote sensing approaches and tools for environmental assessments. This involves developing remote sensing proxies and indicators for biophysical phenomena to provide

  • new insights into environmental function via
  • objective, repeated, spatially comprehensive, cost effective approaches.
  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2021 - ongoing Emerita Professor University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2019 Head, School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide
    2015 - 2016 Associate Head (Research Education), School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide
    2014 - 2021 Professor in Environmental Remote Sensing University of Adelaide
    2012 - 2015 Associate Dean (Future Students), Faculty of Sciences University of Adelaide
    2010 - 2011 Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Sciences University of Adelaide
    2008 - 2013 Associate Professor University of Adelaide
    2004 - 2009 Head of Discipline University of Adelaide
    1990 - 2007 Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    1984 - 1989 Head of Department Roseworthy Agricultural College
    1981 - 1989 Senior Lecturer Roseworthy Agricultural College
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2016 Award Stephen Cole the Elder Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Supervisory Practice University of Adelaide Australia -
    2016 Award SA Spatial Excellence Award for Educational Development Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Australia -
    2015 Fellowship Fellow, Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute - - -
    2015 Award South Australian Spatial Excellence Award: Environment and Sustainability Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute, SA Australia -
    2012 Award South Australian Spatial Excellence Award: Innovation Surveying and Spatial Sceinces Institute, SA - -
    2011 Award South Australian Spatial Excellence Award: Environmental Sustainability Surveying and Spatial Sceinces Institute, SA Australia -
    2007 Award Executive Dean of Sciences Award for Excellence in Teaching - - -
    2006 Award Individual Award for Excellence in Teaching and Professional Development Asia-Pacific Awards for Spatial Excellence Australia -
    2004 Award South Australian Awards for Spatial R&D: Spatial Commercialisation and Industry Spatial Sciences Institute & Aust. Spatial Industry & Business Association Australia -
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2000 University of New South Wales Australia PhD
    1993 University of New South Wales Australia M. App. Sc (Remote Sensing)
    1977 University of Adelaide Australia M. Env. Studs
    1974 University of Adelaide Australia BSc (Hons), Botany
  • Research Interests

Years

Project  *Lewis Chief Investigator

Funding Body

 

2017-20 * Remote sensing of vegetated wetland areas of the Great Artesian Basin Dept. State Development, BHP Billiton, DEWNR  

2015-16  

Drone-based remote sensing for mosquito/arbovirus surveillance and control (with LP Koh, P Weinstein, K Clarke)

Environment Institute

 

2014-16  

* Remote sensing of vegetation response to River Murray weir pool raising (with K Clarke, R Raja Segaran)

DEWNR

 

2015-16  

* Northern Adelaide Plains Water Stocktake: spatial data synthesis

Goyder Institute

 

2015

* Remote sensing of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, Lake Eyre Basin

DEWNR

 

2014-15

* Remote sensing mapping of diffuse discharge and wetlands, Lake Eyre Basin

DEWNR/SA Arid Lands NRM

 

2011-18

* SA node of AusCover Facility within Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network

NCRIS

 

2014-15

* Multiple-scale spatial indicators of ecological condition for Lake Eyre Basin

Goyder Institute

 

2014-15

* Desert Jewels Remote Sensing

DEWNR/SA Arid Lands NRM

 

2014

* Spatially-explicit Environmental Indicators for Regional NRM Planning for Climate Change

DEWNR/SA Arid Lands NRM

 

2013-14

* Detecting and monitoring vegetation in riverine and groundwater-dependent ecosystems

DEWNR/SA Arid Lands NRM

 

2013-15

* Remote sensing of wetland inundation, phenology & history; landscape-scale spatial model of wetlands and environment; part of “Developing ecological response models and determining water requirements for wetlands in the South-East of South Australia” (with J. Brookes, B. Ostendorf, SARDI)

Goyder Institute

 

2012-13

*Coastal Erosion Drivers and Solutions

Dept. Premier & Cabinet

 

2012

Potential of remote sensing for assessing native revegetation in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Region (with B. Ostendorf)

Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges NRM

 

2012

* Lake Hawdon Inundation Regime Characterisation by Remote Sensing; part of “Scientific Investigations to Underpin Water Management Rules for Drain L, Lake Hawdon North and the Robe Lakes, SA” (with J. Brookes, M. Gibbs, SARDI)

DEWNR

 

2010-11

* Transferring Landcare and Resource Management Models: South Australia-Basilicata Region Pilot Project

Dept. Premier & Cabinet

 

2010

* Remote sensing tools for assessing land & ecological condition in the Gawler Bioregion

SA Arid Lands NRM Board

 

2009

Airborne hyperspectral scanning for monitoring and assessment of vegetation and water properties; with Flinders Uni, Monash, Uni Melbourne, Curtin, Charles Darwin

ARC LIEF

 

2009-11

* Doctors in Space: PhD scholarships for remote sensing studies

Alinytjara Wilurara NRM Board

 

2009-10

* Remote sensing for monitoring revegetation in SA

DWLBC

 

2008-13

* Monitoring mound springs wetland vegetation with advanced remote sensing

National Water Commission & SA Arid Lands NRM

 

2007-11

* Enhancement of land condition monitoring with satellite remote sensing

ARC Linkage & DWLBC

 

I teach and coordinate courses in remote sensing and environmental mapping and monitoring.

Earth Observation III interprets image-based information gathered by sensors on space, airborne and ground-based platforms. The course introduces the principles and application of remote sensing to a range of disciplines - environment, geoscience, engineering and agriculture. Practicals give 'hands-on' experience with image analysis software, including processing and interpretation for projects. The course is offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Spatial Information and Land Evaluation introduces theory, history and current methods of spatial information generation, presentation and analysis including map reading and interpretation, GIS, GPS, surveying, remote sensing and image interpretation. It gives an overview of major Australian and South Australian mapping programs and spatial information in government agencies.

This level 2 course provides a foundation for level 3 study in Earth Observation and Geographic Information Systems.

I have supervised over 19 Honours students, 10 of whom have received First Class Honours. Opportunities for future Honours research projects are available here.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 Co-Supervisor Remote Sensing and GIS-Based Modelling for Coastal Erosion Susceptibility Mapping Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hasan Musana
    2020 Principal Supervisor Monitoring arid land condition for conservation using remote sensing technologies Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Angus Eugene Retallack
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Innovative tools and technologies for improving biodiversity surveys using citizen science Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Alan Stenhouse
    2019 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Mistletoe effects on acacia species in western Saudi Arabia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Dhafer Ali M Albakre
    2017 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Earth observation remote sensing of spatial and temporal relationships between rivers and receiving coastal waters Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Hannah Caitlin Claire Auricht
    2016 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Land Suitability Assessments for Agriculture using the Data By-products of Mining Exploration Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Ingrid Ahmer
    2016 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Improved hyperspectral classification of vegetation through generative deep learning models Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Andrew James Hennessy
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Integration of advanced remote sensing and geospatial methodologies to enhance mineral exploration: An example from the southern Gawler Ranges, South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alicia Sophia Caruso
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Calibration and Validation of Remotely Sensed Ground Cover Maps Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Claire Adelaide Charlotte Fisk
    2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor The Measurement of Nutrient Levels and Yield Constraints in Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Using Hyperspectral Sensing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Brooke Bruning
    2015 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Using Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies to Discriminate Patterns of Ancient Aboriginal Land Use in the Australian Arid Zone Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Wallace Boone Law
    2013 - 2013 Principal Supervisor Methods to Assess Environmental Flow and Groundwater Management Scenarios for Floodplain Tree Health in the Lower River Murray Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Prof Ian Clifford Overton
    2012 - 2016 Principal Supervisor Mapping and Monitoring Forest Cover Changes in Lao PDR Using Remote Sensing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Chittana Phompila
    2011 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing for Estimation of Plant Available Water-holding Capacity of Soil Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Sofanit Girma Araya
    2011 - 2017 Co-Supervisor A Spatial Analysis of Food Security in Bangladesh, based on Climate Change, Management Practices, and Socio-economic Variables Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Iffat Ara
    2009 - 2013 Principal Supervisor Mapping, Modelling and Remote Sensing Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) Infestations in Arid Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Victoria Marshall
    2009 - 2013 Principal Supervisor Quantifying water savings from willow removal in southeastern Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Tanya Marree Doody
    2009 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Satellite remote sensing to monitor land condition and dynamics in arid Australia - Letting the landscape speak for itself Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Erika Lawley
    2007 - 2011 Co-Supervisor Modelling Organic Carbon Turnover in Salt-Affected Soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Raj Setia
    2007 - 2014 Principal Supervisor A spatially explicit decision support system to adapt existing parks for the sustainable development of an established urban catchment Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Ramesh Raja Segaran
    2006 - 2010 Principal Supervisor Remote Sensing to Monitor Interactions Between Aquaculture and the Environment of Spencer Gulf, South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Paul Bierman
    2005 - 2009 Principal Supervisor On Using Airborne Optical Vertical Polarisation to Remove Sea Surface Reflectance for Enhanced Visualisation of Seagrass and Other Benthos Master of Science Master Part Time Mr David Geoffrey Derek Hart
    2005 - 2008 Principal Supervisor Landscape Scale Measurement and Monitoring of Biodiversity in the Australian Rangelands Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Kenneth Clarke
    2004 - 2007 Principal Supervisor Arid Land Condition Assessment and Monitoring Using Multispectral and Hyperspectral Imagery Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Reza Jafari
    2004 - 2009 Co-Supervisor Fire in Arid and Semi-arid Australia 1998 - 2004 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Dorothy Turner
    2003 - 2009 Principal Supervisor Discriminating and mapping soil variability with hyperspectral reflectance data Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr David McCulloch Summers
    2003 - 2006 Principal Supervisor Evaluating Hyperspectral Imagery for Mapping the Surface Symptoms of Dryland Salinity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Anna Dutkiewicz
    2002 - 2007 Co-Supervisor Multiscale Prediction of Saline-sodic Land Degradation Processes in Two South Australian Regions Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mark Thomas
    2001 - 2005 Co-Supervisor Eucalyptus regeneration on the Lower Murray floodplain, South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Amy George
    2000 - 2008 Co-Supervisor Regional Scale Modelling of the Lower River Murray Wetlands Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Kjartan Bjornsson
  • Board Memberships

    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2021 - ongoing Co-Chair Coordinating Board, Asia Oceania Group on Earth Observation Asia Oceania Group on Earth Observation Australia
    2017 - ongoing Board Member Arid Recovery Ltd - -
    2016 - ongoing Board Member Goyder Institute for Water Management - -
  • Committee Memberships

    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Member Queensland Earth Observation Hub Advisory Committee SmartSat CRC Australia
    2022 - ongoing Member Space+Spatial Industry Growth Roadmap Steering Committee Multi-organisation Australia
    2021 - ongoing Advisory Board Member TERN Scientific Advisory Committee NCRIS Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member Earth Observation Australia Management Committee Earth Observation Australia Inc. Australia
    2004 - 2012 Co-Chair Technical Commission VII Working Group 3: Processing of Hyperspectral Data International Society of Phtogrammetry and Remote Sensing -
    2001 - ongoing Member International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Technical Committee International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society -
    2000 - ongoing Chair 10th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Association of Australasia -
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2009 - ongoing Member Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute Sustaining Education Partner Australia
  • Offices Held

    Date Office Name Institution Country
    2021 - 2023 President, Earth Observation Australia Earth Observation Australia Inc. Australia
    2020 - ongoing Chair, NovaSAR-1 Steering Committee CSIRO Australia
    2011 - 2016 Leader, SA Node AusCover Facility TERN (Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network) Australia
    2007 - 2010 Member, SA National Parks & Wildlife Council SA National Parks & Wildlife Council -
    2005 - 2007 SA Wilderness Advisory Committee SA Government Australia
    2001 - ongoing Sessional Commissioner, SA Environment, Resources & Development Court SA Environment, Resources & Development Court -
    2000 - 2001 Member, SA Development Policy Advisory Committee SA Development Policy Advisory Committee -
    1994 - 1998 Member, SA Development Assessment Commission SA Development Assessment Commission -
  • Review, Assessment, Editorial and Advice

    Date Title Type Institution Country
    2020 - ongoing Member, New Zealand Royal Society Expert Selection Panel for Centres of Research Excellence Grant Assessment New Zealand Royal Society New Zealand
    2016 - 2018 Member, ARC College of Experts - Australian Research Council Australia

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