Dr Jennifer Wurtzel
Dr Jen Wurtzel is a climatologist with DPIRD’s Seasonal Conditions Monitoring Team, where she leads the technical and scientific development of New South Wales’ drought monitoring and forecasting framework. She works closely with her team to effectively communicate this information through a range of public-facing products.
After completing her PhD in paleoclimatology at the Australian National University and equipped with an understanding of 16,000 years of past rainfall variability, Jen was keen to apply this knowledge to modern-day problems such as agricultural drought.
Eager to make a tangible impact, Jen joined the Climate Branch in 2018 to further develop the NSW Enhanced Drought Information System and support reporting of seasonal conditions through the State Seasonal Update. Her accomplishments in this space include:
- improving the resolution of the system from 5km to 1km
- developing new remote-sensing based products for water and vegetation monitoring
- leading an assessment of drought risk under climate change using CMIP6 projections
- designing and implementing Australia’s first operational seasonal drought forecast
Jen’s work in the drought space contributes to a broader awareness and understanding of drought risk, better aiding farm and Government management decisions.
In addition to her work on the Seasonal Conditions Monitoring Team, Jen has also volunteered her skills for DPIRD emergency response situations including GIS mapping for the 2019-2020 bushfire season, and climate analysis for biosecurity risks.
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Email: jennifer.wurtzel@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Phone: 0427 230 859
Location: OAI (Orange Ag Institute)
Postal Address
1447 Forest Rd, Orange NSW 2800