Ron Neller

Biography

Ron holds a B.A. (Hons) and a Ph.D., both in fluvial geomorphology.

He has held lecturing and research positions at the University of New England (Australia), Griffith University, the University of Sunshine Coast (Queensland), the University of Queensland, Turku University (Finland), and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China). He has also initiated and directed a research institute in environmental sustainability and established two research stations in natural resource management.

While in these positions Ron undertook landscape studies in Australia, China, Finland, Peru, The Pacific Islands, and Libya. He held numerous government advisory positions with the Queensland Government and the Federal Government of Australia in natural heritage management as well as working with international agencies such as the OECD. Ron stepped down from university involvement in 2008 to launch a consultancy business.

Ron was an occasional churchgoer through parts of his life, but only gave his life to Christ in his early 50s. Although Ron was not a Christian in his earlier years, he was also not a supporter of geological evolution. His research suggested otherwise. Indeed, it was only upon becoming a Christian that his data (derived from decades of research on landscape change) finally started to make sense. He then commenced to speak at local churches about this journey to the acceptance of the Bible’s history regarding origins and the Flood of Noah, and faith in Christ.

Ron is now part of the Creation Ministries International (CMI) team in Brisbane, where he works as a researcher, writer and speaker. His articles are now appearing in Creation magazine and the Journal of Creation.

Professional Appointments

• 2009+: Environmental Consultant/Editor
  Adjunct Scientist, Global Change Institute, University of Queensland
• 1997–2008: Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, University of the Sunshine Coast.
  Director of the Institute of Sustainability, Health and Regional Engagement, University of the Sunshine Coast.
  Director of the Fraser Island Research and Education Facility, University of the Sunshine Coast.
• 1989–1997: Associate Professor in Geomorphology, Department of Geography, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
  Docenti, Faculty of Natural Resources and Mathematics, University of Turku, Finland
• 1988: Lecturer, School of Australian Environmental Studies, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland.

Prior to 1988 Ron held numerous other positions in Finland, New South Wales and Queensland.

Presentations and Conferences

Ron has presented over 35 papers to international conferences.

Some Publications

1. Harper, J., Ahmed, W., Neller, A., Tindale, N., Neller, R. and Kurtböke, D.I., The efficacy of vermicomposting on the population structure of Enterococci in domestic biosolids in a residential resort community, Environmental Health 8(2):11–21, 2008.
2. Ahmed, W., Tucker, J., Bettelheim, K.A., Neller, R and Katouli, M. Detection of virulence genes in Escherichia coli of an existing metabolic fingerprint database to predict the sources of pathogenic E.coli in surface waters, Water Resources 41(16):3785–3791, 2007.
3. Kurtböke, D.I., Neller, R.J. and Bellgard, S.E., Mesophilic Actinomycetes in the natural and reconstructed sand dune vegetation zones of Fraser Island, Australia, Microbial Ecology 54(2) 332–340, 2007.
4. Fanning, I.D., Brown, M.D., and Neller, R., Controlling biting midge in Hervey Bay, Australia, in V. P. Sharma and J. S. Kirti (Eds.) Vector Biology, The National Academy of Sciences, India, pp.237–241, 2006.
5. Ahmed, W., Neller, R. and Katouli, M., Faecal source tracking in surface waters: a review of faecal indicator microorganisms and current methods, Environmental Health 5(4):51–68, 2005.
6. Neller, A.H. and Neller, R.J., Environmental well being and human health well-being, Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems, UNESCO, 2002.
7. Ternan, J.L. and Neller, R.J., The erodibility of soils in wildfire prone grasslands in the humid tropics, Hong Kong, Catena 36:49–64, 1999.
8. Owen, R.B., Neller, R.J., Shaw, R. and Cheung, P.C.T., Late Quaternary environmental change in Hong Kong, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology 138:151–173, 1998.
9. Neller, R.J. and Lam, K.C., The environment, In Guangdong: Survey of a Province Under Rapid Change (2^nd Edition), Yeung, Y.M. and Chu, K.Y. (Eds.), Chinese University Press, 1998.
10. Neller, R.J., The concentration of suspended sediments in Turku catchments: implications for the quality of Finnish urban runoff, Aqua Fennica 23(1):111–115, 1993.
11. Neller, R.J., Salo, J.S. and Räsänen, M.E., On the formation of blocked valley lakes by channel avulsions in upper Amazon foreland basins, Zeitschrift Für Geomorphologie 36(4):401–411, 1992.
12. Kalliola, R., Salo, J., Puhakka, M., Rajisilta, M., Häme, T., Neller, R.J., Räsänen, M. and Danjoy Arias, W.A., Upper Amazon channel migration: implications for vegetation perturbance and succession using bitemporal landsat MSS images, Natur wissenshaften 79:75–79, 1992.
13. Neller, R.J., Induced channel enlargement in small urban catchments, Armidale, NSW, Environmental Geology and Water Sciences 14:167–171, 1989.
14. Neller, R.J., A comparison of channel erosion in small urban and rural catchments, Armidale, NSW, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 13:1–7, 1988.
15. Neller, R.J., Sediment sources in urban areas, Search 16(7–8):224–225, 1985.
16. Neller, R.J., Channel changes on the Macquarie Rivulet, NSW, Zeitschrift Für Geomorphologie 24:168–179, 1980.

Articles

• Science, farming, and faith
• The Carnian Pluvial Event: Did it really rain on Earth for 2 million years?
• Creation evangelism with ‘Dinosaurs of Eden’
• Encouraging, equipping, and caring
• Photographing God’s creation
• Complex water gap features—Krichauff Range, Northern Territory, Australia
• Fossils in a day?
•  Dead crocodiles down under
• The water cycle
• The importance of the Old Testament
• Do you know the laws of the heavens?—the Bible and the hydrologic cycle
• Great response at the 2016 Creation SuperCamp

Feedback

• When were ‘mismatched’ river courses carved?
• Mossdale Caverns, Yorkshire Dales, England
• How were giant coastal sand dunes formed?
• How do you explain caves?
• Why no mention of the Ice Age in the Bible?
• Is there enough time for thick permafrost to form?

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