Biography

Michael received a BA in Philosophy and Mathematics in 1986 and a BSc (Hons.) in Applied Mathematics in 1988, both from Monash University, 2013, and a MPhil from the University of NSW in 2020 in Biological Science relating to dynamic oceanography & teleconnections. He is also qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and worked as an actuary in various general insurance companies and consultancies for around 30 years. Research Topic: Mixed ENSO Teleconnections The aim of this research project is to investigate mechanisms of mixed teleconnections in the southern Indian Ocean due to ENSO in order to improve the understanding of how information generated by climate phenomena in one part of the world is transmitted to other parts of the world (and thereby to improve predictability of climate signals globally). The research analyses GCGM output to understand the propagation mechanisms of Indian Ocean Rossby waves triggered by ENSO events and to quantify the relative contributions from both atmospheric and oceanographic means in their transmission.