Adjunct Professor Michael Akindeju is Chair of the IChemE Mining and Minerals Special Interest Group and a distinguished engineering leader whose expertise spans mineral processing, engineering biology, advanced process design, and innovation in complex industrial systems. He is Principal Consultant at MKPro Group, delivering high‑impact solutions across biotechnology, energy, and manufacturing, and Adjunct Professor at the Institute of Innovation, Science, and Sustainability, Federation University Australia. A Fellow of IChemE and RACI, Chartered Engineer, and Registered Professional Engineer, he is recognised for integrating science and practice to drive sustainable transformation and strengthen industry capability.

Xiaoke Wang is a PhD candidate at The University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on the fundamental theory of fractal-like nanoparticles on cancer treatment using multiscale simulations of titania (TiO2) nanoparticles in the gas-phase by molecular dynamics (MD). In addition, she is also interested in exploring the reaction mechanisms of TiO2 precursors in flames using density functional theory (DFT) and statistical reaction rate theory.

Sarva Sai Nikhilesh Gantala is a PhD candidate in the BITS-RMIT cotutelle doctoral program, conducting research in Chemical and Environmental Engineering with an interdisciplinary integration of biotechnology and chemical engineering principles. His work focuses on electrobiomethanation of organic waste to enhance biomethane production efficiency through electrode-assisted anaerobic digestion systems. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology from GITAM University, India and a Master of Technology in Biotechnology from Andhra University, India. Through his doctoral research, he aims to develop innovative strategies for improving organic waste valorisation and renewable bioenergy generation.

Dr Mehrdad Parsa is a materials scientist and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, specialising in carbon materials and electrochemistry for energy storage applications. His work focuses on the development, scale-up, and commercialisation of advanced anode materials, including carbon-coated graphite and silicon–graphite composites, with an emphasis on cost reduction and emissions minimisation. He has led research within the Future Battery Industries CRC and is currently advancing turbostratic carbon film (TCF) technology under the Australia’s Economic Accelerator program. His experience spans laboratory research, pilot-scale production, and industry collaboration, supporting the translation of materials innovations into commercial battery technologies.

Sophia Richardson joined the power industry in New Zealand in 2021 following an upstream oil & gas career. Her team’s mission is safe and sustainable maximisation of power generation value by improving efficiency and reliability. Geothermal power generation optimisation is core to this work, with Contact Energy generating over 600 MW in New Zealand. Sophia has previously presented the Tauhara slug hammer commissioning incident at the Worksafe Geothermal workshop 2025 and the Scaling Rate Reduction at Wairakei Binary Through Application of Scale Inhibitor by Sophia Richardson, Alan Ferguson and Karl Barrie at the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop 2022.

Dr. Abhinav Bajpai is currently a Research Associate in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, with a strong background in non-thermal plasma catalysis, hydrogen storage, low-pressure ammonia synthesis, and chemical reaction engineering. Dr. Bajpai completed PhD degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, India in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. His PhD research focused on developing innovative non-thermal plasma-assisted catalytic processes for gas conversion, hydrogen generation, and sustainable energy production. Dr. Bajpai aims to deliver scalable, energy-efficient solutions that contribute to the global transition toward carbon-neutral and sustainable technologies with reaction engineering principles.