Project Team
Professor Bill Pritchard
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Chief Investigator
Bill is Professor of Geography and Head of the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney. He researches the changing human environments of rural places in the contemporary world. His focus is on the ways that global processes are transforming places, industries and people’s lives.
Bill has undertaken research for a number of leading national and international organisations, and his work is cited widely within professional circles. He is an author of three books, an editor of a further four, and has published around 60 refereed articles and chapters.
Elen Welch
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Research Officer
Elen Welch is an experienced qualitative and quantitative researcher, spatial analyst and educator, with training in human geography.
Her research is focused on understanding rural change, specifically at nexus of livelihoods, land and agriculture. She is motivated by the need to develop more place-based understandings to improve resilience for rural/regional communities, agriculture and land management.
Guillermo Umana Restrepo
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Research Officer
Guillermo is a senior planner and researcher interested in the interaction between planning policy and place. He is particularly interested in sustainable development law and the role of GIS technology in solving problems affecting urban and regional communities.
He is currently part of the research team at the University of Sydney’ and also works part-time at the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in the area of planning policy with extensive experience in planning policy development, social and infrastructure impact assessment and strategic planning.
Lachlan Mitchell
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Research Assistant
Charles Doggart
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Research Assistant
Cara Stone
University of Sydney | School of Geosciences
Research Assistant
Tamara Prentice
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Manager Agricultural Land Use Planning
Mary Kovac
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Agricultural Land Use Planning Officer
Recent Honour’s Graduates:
- Lachlan Mitchell (2021)
- Jesse Doolan (2019)
- Elona Rey-Costa (2018)
If you are a prospective PhD/Honour’s student interested in joining the project, please contact us