IPO Staff

SOOS Executive Officer: Dr Alyce Hancock

Alyce Hancock oversees the running of the SOOS IPO: coordinating the delivery of all SOOS activities and products to stakeholders, facilitating the strategic planning and implementation of SOOS, managing the SOOS Network, and advocating for continued support for the IPO and SOOS activities. Alyce completed her PhD with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, focusing on the effect of ocean acidification on nearshore Antarctic marine microbial communities. Prior to her PhD, Alyce worked as a research assistant for the University of New South Wales collecting lake microbial samples over an 18-month period in the Vestfold Hills and Rauer Islands, East Antarctic, as well as various researcher roles at the Australian Antarctic Division and University of Tasmania. Previously, Alyce was the president of the APECS Oceania national committee for Australia and New Zealand. Alyce remains on the APECS Oceania Executive Committee as a Senior Advisor.

Contact: hancock[at]soos.aq

SOOS Data Officer: Michaela Miller

The SOOS Data Officer, Michaela Miller, oversees the delivery and management of key data objectives and products, as well as supporting end-user engagement and uptake of SOOS data assets. 

Before moving on to SOOS, Michaela was working for the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), where she was a Project Officer for the Great Barrier Reef-wide Data Management System. Prior to that she was based in Townsville, QLD, at the Australian Institute of Marine Science conducting reef ecology centric research, most completing her PhD on the ecological impact of microplastic pollution on the GBR. During this time, she fell in love with big data and using well-established monitoring networks to assess the overall health of marine ecosystems. Originally from Connecticut in the US, she moved to Australia in 2016.

Contact: data[at]soos.aq

SOOS Science and Communications Officer: Dr Julia Bach

SOOS's Science and Communications Officer, Julia Bach, supports SOOS working groups and task teams through community and stakeholder engagement, creation of the SOOS communication products as well as keeping social media, website, contacts database and working group mailing lists up-to-date. 

Julia gained many years of experience in managing communications at her former job as a product manager for the pharmaceutical company Nordmark Pharma. As a scientist, Julia has been working for the University of Kiel in Germany, the GEOMAR in Kiel and the AWI in Bremerhaven, Germany. She also gained a Diploma in Project Management from Monarch Institute.