Rate My Professor Hannah Power

Associate Professor Hannah Power is a coastal geomorphologist in the Earth Sciences discipline within the School of Science at the University of Newcastle. She holds a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Marine Science, majoring in Geophysics, from the University of Sydney, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Coastal Engineering from the University of Queensland. Power joined the University of Newcastle in 2014 as a lecturer and progressed to her current position as Associate Professor. Her work is affiliated with the Environmental and Climate Change Research Group, where she conducts research that translates into practical applications for coastal management through collaborations with governments and local councils.

Power's research specializations encompass the processes and morphologies of coastal environments, spanning sandy beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, and coral reefs. She employs field-based experiments, remote sensing techniques, and numerical modelling to study ocean waves, tides, currents, coastal hazards including wave overwash and tsunami, and climate change effects on coastlines. She has produced over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including 'Future coastal protection is primarily dependent on coral reef health, not rising sea levels' (Science Advances, 2018), 'Coral reef structural complexity provides important coastal protection from waves' (Science Advances, 2018), 'Research priorities for coastal geoscience and engineering: A collaborative exercise in priority setting from Australia' (Frontiers in Marine Science, 2021), and 'Quantifying bore-bore capture on natural beaches' (Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 2020). Her research has attracted more than $1.5 million in competitive grants and includes leadership in two major voyages on Australia's Marine National Facility vessel RV Investigator. Power's contributions have earned her the 2021 Australian Institute of Policy and Science Young Tall Poppy Award, selection as a Science and Technology Australia Superstar of STEM for 2021-2022, and a finalist position in the 2015 APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education. She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, is a member of the NSW Coastal Council, and founded the Australasian Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference series. Additionally, she engages extensively in science communication with over 40 media appearances and advocates for gender equity in STEM fields.