Article
BAMOS February 2026
19
Dr Angela Maharaj
Dr Angela Maharaj is an atmospheric scientist, educator and policy leader whose career spans university research and national climate policy. She holds a PhD in Atmospheric Science( Macquarie University) and has worked across academia and government for nearly two decades. Dr Maharaj’ s research covers climate variability, ocean – atmosphere interactions, urban climatology and air-quality, and she led high-impact citizen-science and education initiatives( for example, the Schools Weather and Air Quality program, a Eureka Prize finalist). She served as AMOS President from 2020 – 2022, guiding the Society through the COVID-19 period and contributing to policy documents and international collaboration. She has held senior policy roles in the Australian Government contributing to the National Climate Risk Assessment and National Partnership for Climate Projections. As a university lecturer she has led curriculum and mentoring activities and participated in major international capacity-building efforts. Her sustained service to AMOS, combined with research, teaching and policy impact, underpins her election as an AMOS Fellow.
Associate Professor Andrea Taschetto
Associate Professor Andrea Taschetto is a leading physical oceanographer and climate scientist whose research has significantly advanced knowledge of tropical ocean variability and teleconnections. She holds a PhD in Physical Oceanography( University of São Paulo) and has built a sustained record of research on ENSO diversity, Indian Ocean variability, interbasin interactions and their impacts on Australian and South American climate. Her work has shown how different ENSO flavours alter rainfall teleconnections and how Indian Ocean variability can amplify droughts; several of her papers are highly cited and have direct applications in seasonal forecasting and agricultural planning.
Andrea has published extensively in top journals, supervised numerous postgraduate students, and contributed service to AMOS through Council roles, editorial leadership of the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science, conference organisation and convening sessions on tropical variability. She also led the substantial update to the classic Southern- Hemisphere reference, now being published as Meteorology and Climate of the Southern Hemisphere. Her research, mentoring and society service make her a model AMOS Fellow.
Dr Andrew Watkins
Dr Andrew Watkins is a senior climate services leader with a long record of translating climate science into operational services, decision-support and public communication. He earned his PhD( University of Melbourne) for work on Antarctic sea ice and high-latitude weather and climate, worked at the Bureau of Meteorology from 1999 to 2025, and is an Adjunct Professor( Practice) in the School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Monash University. As the Head of Long-range Forecasts at the Bureau, Dr Watkins led the transformation of Australia’ s long-range and seasonal outlook products, spearheaded userfocused sector services( including the Water & the Land portal) and expanded sub-seasonal to seasonal products and extreme predictions. He has provided high-level climate briefings to emergency services, governments and industry( including during the Millennium Drought and the 2019 – 20 Black Summer fires) and has been heavily involved in international climate service efforts via WMO bodies. From 2023 to 2025 he led the Delivery Team and was a Lead Author for Australia’ s first National Climate Risk Assessment. An AMOS member since the early 1990s, Dr Watkins has also served AMOS as Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the AMOS Bulletin, was awarded the AMOS Gibbs Medal in 2022, and is widely recognised for public engagement and science communication.