Dr Geoff Baker was a Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO before his retirement in November 2014. His recent research activities included ecology and management of insect pests (particularly the key pests of cotton production systems), Mediterranean snails and soil invertebrates, especially earthworms.

In 1972, Geoff was awarded his Bachelor of Science with Honours by the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia. After completing his Doctorate in 1976, Geoff tutored in terrestrial and marine ecology at the Field Studies Council of Great Britain in Wales, then a National University of Ireland Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Science and Engineering enabled him to undertake work at University College, Dublin, Ireland, on the ecology of earthworms and their role in the reclamation of peat bogs.

Geoff joined CSIRO Entomology in 1980. Initially based in Portugal, where he investigated biological control of Portuguese millipedes, he then moved to Adelaide and worked on the ecology and biological control of pest Mediterranean snails in grain crops and pastures.  In 1989, he began research on earthworms (particularly exotic species) with a view to improving soil structure, fertility and plant production, especially in soils used for pasture and grain crops.

Geoff moved to Canberra in 1998 and became project leader for Cotton Pest Management in 2000. With the creation of the new CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences division, Geoff became a Research Program Leader in Functional Ecology and Systematics. He was a member of the Australian Cotton / Cotton Catchment Communities CRCs (2000-12). He is currently an Honorary Post-Retirement Fellow in Cotton Pest management, snail ecology & management, soil biology at CSIRO Canberra.