Digital Twins for Groundwater Resilience in the Pacific
Interview for Westpac Research Fellowship
October 2nd, 2025; Dr. Sia Ghelichkhan
available at: www.sia-g.com/talks/
About me
Aus Centre of Excellence for Antarctic Sciences (ACEAS)
Digital Twins for Groundwater Resilience in the Pacific
- Tenure-track Faculty - ANU (2023-present)
- ARC DECRA Fellow - Sea Level Reconstruction
- JG Russell Award nominee
Passionate about bridging cutting-edge mathematics so solve real world challenges
Fresh water
Groundwater
- 98% of global freshwater budget is groundwater.
- … key to resilient futures for water resource management.
- … estimated 20% of agricultural consumption in Australia.
- … often the sole source of freshwater in many places.
Groundwater in the Pacific
Ocean vs Freshwater Lens
A delicate balance
Over-pumping of groundwater
Ocean — Freshwater Lens with Sea Level Rise
A delicate balance
Over-pumping of groundwater
Sea level rise represent an often overlooked factor.
Why Westpac Scholars Trust?
Alignment with WRF in:
Sustainability
Australia’s relationship with Asia-Pacific
- Access to leadership training (Peter Cullen Trust)
- An opportunity to go out of one’s comfort zone to engage with policy maker and decision makers.
- Mentorship and collaboration opportunities through the engagement with the trust
- A unique opportunity for a postdoctoral fellow in my team to establish digital twins for groundwater modelling in selected pacific islands (Solomon Islands, Fed. States of Micronesia).
Leaving you with a brain map …
mindmap
root((Westpac Fellowship Interview))
About Me
World leader in inverse methods for large scale simulations
DECRA fellow - Top Applicant in Sciences
Tenure Track at ANU
Community Leader in developing methods
Research Project
Digital Twins for Groundwater Resilience in the Pacific
Extension of OMEGA Platform to the Oceanic Islands
Relying on Future Sea-Level Rise Scenarios
How it aligns with WRF?
Sustainable Futures
Australia's Role in the Pacific
Edging Technology in Climate Modelling
Why I chose WRF?
Unique Opportunity for Leadership Growth
A full-time postdoctoral opportunity in my group