Rate My Professor Ryan Witt

Dr Ryan Witt is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer in the School of Science (Environmental Science and Management) within the College of Engineering, Science and Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science (2018), Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours) (2014), Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (2013), and Bachelor of Social Science (Recreation and Tourism) (2008), all from the University of Newcastle. Witt has served as a Casual Academic and Sessional Academic at the University since 2013, with additional roles including Conjoint Lecturer and Honorary Lecturer in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences from 2019. His career includes positions as Research Associate at the University of Newcastle and Southern Cross University. A conservation scientist, Witt leads a team developing drone-based monitoring tools for threatened Australian wildlife. His work focuses on thermal drone surveys for detecting cryptic species such as koalas, greater gliders, and squirrel gliders, GPS-collar tracking for movement ecology, nest box monitoring, ecological modelling, and genetic tools for population dynamics in fragmented habitats. Earlier research during his PhD centered on marsupial reproductive biology, including assisted breeding and genome storage techniques.

Witt's key publications include 'Real-time drone derived thermal imagery outperforms traditional survey methods for an arboreal forest mammal' (2020), 'Drone thermal imaging technology provides a cost-effective tool for landscape-scale monitoring of a cryptic forest-dwelling species across all population densities' (2022), 'Modeling genetic benefits and financial costs of integrating biobanking into the conservation breeding of managed marsupials' (2023), and 'Estimating the landscape-scale abundance of an arboreal folivore using thermal imaging drones and binomial N-mixture modelling' (2025). His thermal drone method, co-developed with the NSW Government, is referenced in the NSW Koala Strategy and Biodiversity Assessment Method, influencing policy and conservation decisions. Awards include the Collaboration Excellence Award from the School of Environmental and Life Sciences (2020), University Medal in Environmental Science and Management (2014), Faculty Medal (2014), and University Colour in Tennis (2017). Witt is a skilled science communicator, having delivered public webinars such as the Koala Research Webinar, and teaches courses in science, environmental science, ecology, and management using innovative methods. His research has over 625 citations on Google Scholar.