Wenran Cao is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry (CWiMI) in the Sustainable Minerals Institute. His research interests include investigating the interactive mechanisms between the flow, transport, and reaction domains, and predicting mineral mobilisation, transformation and distribution in the mining environment. He is currently working on an ARC Linkage Project to address the national need for effective management of Acid and Metalliferous Drainage (AMD).
With a track record of successfully delivering short- and long-term research/industry projects, Wenran has developed expertise in conducting field investigation, in-situ measurements, and soil/water sampling, as well as collecting, analysing, and interpreting experimental data to produce insightful reports. He also specialises in developing theoretical and numerical models of physical and geochemical coupling to tackle water-related challenges, as well as conceptualising and implementing groundwater monitoring systems with remote access.
Biography
Wenran Cao has 15 years of experience in academic research, engineering consulting, and project management, including 4 years of completing his PhD in Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Queensland (UQ). He has MEng degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in China, as well as BEng and BArts degrees from China University of Petroleum. Wenran is currently a Registered Professional Engineer in Queensland (RPEQ), Professional Member of Engineers Australia (MIEAust NER), and Member of Project Management Professional (PMP Queensland Chapter). He is also a Chartered Engineer in China, having previously worked for 2 years at TechnipFMC, and 7 years at China Petroleum Offshore Engineering before starting his PhD studies at UQ. Throughout his career, Wenran has a distinguished publication record, with multiple papers in high-impact scientific journals, as well as several invention patents and software packages granted in China.
Industry
Before his academic career at UQ, Wenran Cao held senior positions in the oil and gas industry, working at China National Petroleum Corporation (one of the largest integrated energy groups in the world) and TechnipFMC (a global leader in energy projects, technologies, systems, and services). He also engaged in short-course trainings with Fugro (a global leader in Geo-data solutions) and Bentley Systems (a leading provider of infrastructure engineering software).
Collaborations
During his PhD studies at UQ, Wenran worked collaboratively with the Queensland Government, the School of Civil Engineering, the School of the Environment, and the Centre for Advanced Imaging. Throughout his career in China, he had joint research with multiple universities and academic organisations, including Harbin Institute of Technology, Tianjin University, China University of Petroleum, Northeast Petroleum University, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Institute of Engineering Mechanics, and First Institute of Oceanography.