Professor Rob Brander Bio

Professor Rob Brander, aka ‘Dr Rip’, is a coastal scientist, beach safety researcher and science communicator in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at UNSW Sydney in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He has studied beaches for over 35 years starting with a BSc and MSc at the University of Toronto where Canadian water temperatures convinced him to move to Australia in 1993 and do his PhD on rip currents at the University of Sydney.  He has published over 100 book chapters and scientific articles on related topics. He is a member of the International Drowning Researchers Alliance and has contributed, and been invited, to be a part of working groups related to the rip current hazard and drowning prevention around the world.

Rob has been based at UNSW Sydney since 2000 and leads the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group. He began his popular community beach safety education program ‘The Science of the Surf’ in 2001 and gained the nickname ‘Dr Rip’ for his habit of releasing harmless purple dye into rip currents to educate people about this important hazard. He is a past recipient of an Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research and enjoys bodysurfing very much. He is also a Life Member of the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club and was appointed in January 2023 as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service towards beach safety education and research.

You can learn more about his background (as well as rip current education) in an episode of Bondi Rescue’s Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins ‘Life’s a Beach’ podcast.