Simon is a current CDU PhD student studying in the field of data science and machine learning. He has undergraduate degrees in engineering and science from Adelaide Uni, a masters in systems engineering from Uni SA, and graduate certificate in Scientific Leadership from Melbourne Uni. In his career as a senior defence scientist, Simon over 15 years of experience at Defence Science and Technology (Australia’s second largest public-funded R&D organisation) in the areas of data analytics, vehicle technologies, operations analysis and future technology prediction (including time in Timor Leste). He has established strong client relationships and delivered valued science and technology products.

Simon’s current PhD research is using machine learning and data science techniques to analyse chemical samples of explosives from Afghanistan to match bombs to bombmakers and identify links within terrorist networks.