July 28, 2025
Photo of Dr Chermelle Engel
In this article we find out more about Dr Chermelle Engel, a Principal Research Software Engineer in the Atmosphere Model team at ACCESS-NRI.
Where did you grow up and how did you come to be part of the ACCESS-NRI team?
I grew up in Melbourne, completing my schooling, university studies and entire career from there. I came to be part of ACCESS-NRI in a roundabout way because of my somewhat complicated career.
Tell us a bit about your career before ACCESS-NRI.
I completed a dual Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in software engineering and Bachelor of Science (Honours) in physics at The University of Melbourne.
After graduation, I worked at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre in the Weather Forecasting group, post-processing and combining weather data from many global centres for operational weather forecasting. I spent 2 years as an Information Technology Officer (Class 2) and 3 years as Professional Officer (Class 2), during which time I commenced my PhD using 1 day a week of study leave—and weekends.
For the next 3 years, I worked in the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre Data Assimilation Group as a Senior Professional Officer Grade C, focusing on observation monitoring. This was in the years when the ACCESS model was being adopted in Australia (and I was still completing my PhD using 1 day a week of study leave and weekends).
Following that, I worked for 1 year part time as a Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne (while continuing my PhD part time). The work involved high-resolution ACCESS simulations of weather during extreme fire-danger days. I then took time out, completing my PhD in Earth sciences from The University of Melbourne. I then recommenced work for ~2.5 years as a Research Fellow on high-resolution regional atmospheric modelling (at The University of Melbourne, then Monash University), this time working with a fire model coupled to the atmospheric model (via the land model).
More recently, I spent 5 years at RMIT University (as a Research Fellow then a Senior Research Fellow) working in remote sensing, processing geostationary satellite data that arrived every 10 minutes. We used latest and past information in real time, to remotely detect active fires for regional fire weather services.
What do you do at ACCESS-NRI and what excites you about this work?
At ACCESS-NRI, I work in the Atmosphere Team to facilitate the uptake of the ACCESS Regional Atmosphere Model (ACCESS-rAM) implementation of the UK Met Office Regional Atmospheric Model.
I help smooth out technical issues (relating to datasets and configurations) and demonstrate to scientists what ACCESS-rAM can do with datasets available on our Australian supercomputers. This includes setting up starter configurations to make it easier for new users and helping more experienced users to find ways to achieve more advanced setups.
Being able to work on regional atmospheric modelling using the ACCESS model is exciting for me—it allows me to use my previous experience to help other scientists do their ground-breaking science.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Challenge myself to learn to new things.
Do you have a fun fact about yourself?
I completed the 210km “Around the Bay in a Day” annual cycle event in Melbourne, one and a half times—not recently!