While completing a Bachelors of Engineering in Mechatronics / Telecommunications and Electronics at the Australian National University, Gabe worked in a technical capacity researching cyberphysical security to inform Australian Government policy on emerging technologies at the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and subsequently for a small startup as the principal engineer developing technical surveillance and TSCM solutions for trafficking enforcement. After completing his degree, he worked as the primary research assistant on a cyberphysical risk assessment project which used a set theory and optimization approach to demonstrating malicious inputs to computer vision based navigation systems. After the conclusion of that project, he began re-exploring his roots in environmental science and worked as a research assistant on remote sensing while searching for a career with more direct impact.
Gabe joins IDEMS as an Impact Activation Fellow, primarily working on the ParentText project.
What’s the most interesting project or problem you’re working on right now?
The Open Chat Builder project has broad applicability to enable complex and nuanced education and citizen science projects, while meeting users where they are in existing messaging services. The goals and success of ParentText is deeply motivating on it’s own, I am excited to see that project scale to change the lives of more families, and see new projects leverage what we have built with the Open Chat Builder.
What social problem is nearest and dearest to you?
The problem that I care most about is failures in processes surrounding high-complexity long-term decision making by important institutions and governments, and the role of organized misinformation in reinforcing flawed processes. This is a large, intractable problem, but I believe it is the root of many of the environmental and socioeconomic problems of the 20th and 21st centuries. A scientific consensus on an interconnected web of solutions exists for the majority of big problems, the stumbling block is integration of deep research into policy.
Why did/do you choose to work at IDEMS?
I want my work to have meaning and directly contribute to addressing complex social problems, while being able to work on interesting systems engineering challenges. The high-level long-term vision of the company to positively impact countless stakeholders through transdisciplinary solutions truly lights a fire in me. The academic freedom and flexibility is a wonderful bonus that enables me to do the things that keep me fresh and motivated, like my outdoor pursuits.
Where is home?
The lovely South Lake Tahoe, California, USA, surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Sierra Nevada, and all the climbing, skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking opportunities a mountain life brings.