2022 achievements and awards

A new member of the Australian Research Council's College of Experts

Professor Sonja Pedell has been appointed as a member of the Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts.

The ARC College of Experts plays a key role in helping the Australian Research Council identify research excellence and advance knowledge and national innovation. Its members are experts of international standing drawn from the Australian research community. This successful nomination is an endorsement of Dr Pedell’s research standing and capacity for good judgement and impartiality.

Swinburne launches the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

Left to right: Professor Karen Hapgood, the Hon Dr Barry Jones AC, Associate Professor Gavan McCarthy, Professor Beth Webster and Professor Tom Spurling AM

Swinburne University of Technology has formally launched the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation.

Published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, the encyclopedia is a web-based collection of information about the people and organisations that have left their mark in science and innovation in Australia for over two centuries.

It is a gateway to the history and archives of science, technology and innovation in Australia. It has a deep history and has influenced similar historical resources both here and around the world. In 2021, the project joined Swinburne's Centre for Transformative Innovation and has shifted to bolster a focus on innovation.

Speaking at the launch, The Honourable Dr Barry Jones AC said, “I was honoured when invited to launch this important work, an exceptionally interesting and important research archive about the contribution of Australia to science and innovation.”

Also speaking at the launch, Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Karen Hapgood, commented on the significance of the project.

“An important entry is Bronwyn Adams – the first female chemical engineer in Victoria. The encyclopedia is the only place where you can find any information about her and there are many, many more examples. It’s about prioritising entries that cannot be found elsewhere. Its value is preserving the collective knowledge of our history,” she said.

5G IoT project nominated for ITS Australia Awards

An innovative 5G-enabled Internet of Things project, using high-resolution cameras and GPS sensors attached to waste vehicles, has seen Swinburne researchers nominated in the 13^th Intelligent Transport Systems Australia Awards for Excellence in Research & Development.

The Brimbank Council project uses the data produced by IoT-enabled vehicles, as well as 5G technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, to help rapidly detect road and roadside assets that require maintenance. This can help greatly reduce the time it takes to identify and fix issues such as damaged road signs and bus shelters or dumped roadside rubbish.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 16 February 2023. Read more about the project on the Swinburne newsroom.

Graduate success at the 2022 Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) Awards 

November 2022

Congratulations to our Communication Design graduates who achieved three Merit Awards and four Finalist Projects in the AGDA awards.

These awards were created to highlight the best designers in Australia across a number of disciplines and are highly regarded in both academia and industry.  

• Bailey Wentworth: Merit Award for Student Brand and Identity: Identity for Design Exchange  
• Venessa Tan: Merit Award for Student Design Crafts: Voices from the Fringes publication
• Michael Smith: Merit Award for Student Spatial: Invisible Cities Exhibition Design
• Bella MacIsaac: Student Brand and Identity Finalist: Tasmania Devils AFL branding
• Shuyu Ren: Student Digital Finalist: Stop Cyberbullying Campaign
• Michael Smith: Student Spatial Finalist: Wellness in Eco-Art 
• Venessa Tan: Student Publication Finalist: Voices from the Fringes publication
   

Thank you and well done to all staff who have contributed to our success here through their investment in these students.

International best paper award for sustainable metallurgy research

Professor M Akbar Rhamdhani’s paper has been awarded the TMS EPD/LMD Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy Best Paper Award for demonstrating novelty and research excellence within the field of sustainable metallurgy.

The paper, titled ‘Kinetics and Mechanisms of Carbothermic Reduction of Weathered Ilmenite Using Palm Kernel Shell Biomass’, was published in Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy in December 2021. It is the result of a collaboration between Swinburne University of Technology, Universitas Indonesia and CSIRO, funded by The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Republic of Indonesia, with co-investments from Swinburne, Universitas Indonesia and CSIRO.

Wahn Kittikovit wins best Marketing Manager 2022 award

Congratulations to our Bangkok-based staff member Wahn Kittikovit for winning the AECC Best Marketing Manager 2022 award.

AECC is one of the world’s largest education agencies with offices all across Asia (and one in Greece). They work with hundreds of universities in all major English-speaking countries. This is a fantastic achievement - congratulations Wahn!

Distinguished Professor Christopher Berndt appointed Distinguished Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad

Distinguished Professor Christopher Berndt has been appointed a Distinguished Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. His frequent visits to India since 2011 have opened many doors for collaboration. A major outcome included joint R&D with Professor B.S. Murty, Director IIT-HYD, in the area of ‘high entropy alloys’. Their joint teams have paved the way for innovative research in this important technological topic. This prestigious appointment as a Distinguished Professor reinforces the strong collaborative relationship between Swinburne and IIT Hyderabad.  As well, it recognises sustained contributions of Professor Berndt in the field of surface engineering.

Distinguished Professor Berndt is also the recipient of the 2022 ASM Honorary Membership Award for demonstrated professional commitment and lifelong learning, as well as being a mentor and exemplar to early career engineers and scientists. 

Emeritus Professor John Wilson awarded Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia

Emeritus Professor John Wilson has been awarded an  Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia (EA) which is the highest membership grade of EA and is  a decision made by its Board. This is awarded to Professor Wilson for his outstanding contributions to the structural and earthquake engineering profession over some 40 years of industrial and academic career. 

Professor Tracy Ruan selected by the Mechanical College Board of Engineers Australia as the AGM Michell Medal 2022 winner

Professor Dong (Tracy) Ruan is an enthusiastic educator and researcher in the Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering (MPDE). She has made significant contributions to teaching and curriculum development to provide students with an excellent leaning experience. Professor Ruan has been a leading female researcher who has conducted innovative research in characterisation of materials and structures under dynamic loadings, and provided pioneer solutions to industries such as automotive and defence.

As the Chair of MPDE from 2019, Professor Ruan successfully led the transformation from traditional face-to-face teaching to online/blended delivery during the challenging COVID period. The Department has also excelled in research and secured significant research incomes in the past three years.

Distinguished Professor Qing-Long Han is elected an IFAC Fellow

Distinguished Professor Qing-Long Han was elected a prestigious Fellow of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) for the period of 2020-2023. The IFAC Fellow Award is given to those who have made extraordinary contributions as an engineer, scientist, technical leader or educator. Professor Han received the honour “for contributions to networked control and multi-agent systems and applications to smart grids”.

Professor Han is one of only 25 IFAC fellows in the world. Founded in Paris in 1957, IFAC is a worldwide federation of 52 national member organisations tasked with promoting the science and technology of automatic control in all systems, across engineering, physical, biological, social or economic, in both theory and application. IFAC is also concerned with the impact of control technology on society.

Dr Mitchell Adams named Academic of the Year at 2022 Australian Law Awards

Swinburne Law School Lecturer and Bachelor of Laws Course Director, Dr Mitchell Adams, has been named Academic of the Year at the in the 2022 Australian Law Awards. The Australian Law Awards recognise legal professionals and firms across Australia for their dedication to the legal sector.  

This award is a testament to Dr Adams’ dedication to the legal profession and his work in instilling a passion for the law, professional excellence, and expertise in his students. 
 

Swinburne academics win 2022 DNA Paris Design Award

A digital artwork project produced by three Swinburne academics for the City of Casey has won a prestigious 2022 DNA Paris Design Award.

Three Corners of the City, from Motion Design Lecturer and Discipline Coordinator of Motion Design, James Berrett (lead designer); Swinburne Living Lab Director, Professor Sonja Pedell; and Communication Design and Smart Cities Program Leader, Professor Simone Taffe, has won the Graphic Design/Interactive Design category of the awards, which honour the work of international architects and designers who “improve our daily lives through practical, beautiful and innovative design”.

The Swinburne team’s project is a real-time interactive data visualisation displayed on a large-scale media wall that connects the Melbourne communities of Narre Warren, Berwick and Cranbourne in a 24-hour-flow of everyday life driven by data captured in September 2021. The aim of the work is to demonstrate how real-time captured data can be both informative and engaging, as well as to showcase where and when members of the community are on the move.

Prestigious award won by Associate Professor Peng Wang

Associate Professor Peng Wang has won the prestigious Freeman Award from the International Network for Social Network Analysis (INSNA). The annual INSNA Freeman Award is given to a distinguished scholar in the field of social networks for significant contributions to the scientific study of social structure.

This achievement is a testament to extraordinary research that Associate Professor Wang has been doing. He will receive an expenses-paid trip to attend the annual Sunbelt Social Networks Conference in Portland, USA in 2023 where he will deliver the keynote Freeman Award lecture.

Associate Professor Wang is a member of the Social Network Research Lab in Centre for Transformative Innovation at Swinburne.

Lifelong achievement award for materials science and engineering

Distinguished Professor Christopher Berndt has received the 2022 ASM Honorary Membership Award. The awards program recognises achievements of members of the materials science and engineering international community. They are presented in New Orleans, USA. 

Distinguished Professor Berndt was awarded for “demonstrated professional commitment and life-long learning, as well as being a mentor and exemplar, to early career engineers and scientists.”

Economists’ prize for contributions to public debate and policy

Swinburne Director for the Centre for Transformative Innovation Professor Beth Webster has received the 2022 Distinguished Fellow Award by the Economic Society of Australia (ESA). This award acknowledges and celebrates contributions by distinguished economists to public debate on policy issues in accordance with the society's objective to encourage research and public debate.

A new member of the academy of Europe 

Deputy Director of Swinburne Data Science Research Institute, Professor Jinjun Chen, has been elected as a Member of the prestigious Academia Europaea.

The Academia Europaea was founded in 1988. It is dedicated to the advancement and propagation of excellence in scholarship in the humanities, law, the economic, social and political sciences, mathematics, medicine, and all branches of natural and technological sciences.

Membership is by invitation, which are made only after peer group nomination, scrutiny and confirmation as to the scholarship and eminence of the individual in their chosen field. Members are drawn from across the whole European continent and European scholars who are residents in other regions of the world. Current membership stands at around 4,500 – amongst them are seventy-two Nobel Laureates.

2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours

June 2022

Congratulations to the members of Swinburne’s community who have been acknowledged in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours, including alumni, staff, friends and supporters of the university.

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

Dr Brendan Murphy AC

For eminent service to medical administration and community health, particularly as Chief Medical Officer, and to nephrology, to research and innovation, and to professional organisations.

Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

Brigadier Matthew Burr AM

For exceptional service as Commander of the 4th Brigade force assigned as Commander Joint Task Force 646 and Commander Joint Task Group 629.2.

Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)

Mr Philip Taylor AFSM

For commitment to the safety of firefighters, given over 42 years' of service to the Victorian community as a firefighter in Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

Professor Josie Arnold OAM

For service to tertiary education.

Professor Lester Johnson OAM

For service to tertiary education.

Mr Terence McKay OAM

For service to the community through a range of roles.

Ms Dorothy West OAM

For service to first nations media and communications.

Swinburne expert contributes to ‘the bible of psychiatry’

Professor Greg Murray is an author in the American Psychiatric Association’s latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). The DSM is known as ‘the bible of psychiatry’. It contains classifications, descriptions and symptoms of mental disorder and it is used as a guide to diagnosis. Professor Murray was invited to contribute as a global expert in bipolar and related mental disorders.

Modern Slavery Project win the 2022 Sustainability Project of the Year at The Faculty Awards of Excellence

As a member of the Australian Universities Procurement Network (AUPN), Swinburne is proud to see AUPN’s Modern Slavery Project win the 2022 Sustainability Project of the Year at The Faculty Awards of Excellence.

The AUPN is leading a sector collaboration to support member universities to meet the challenge of human rights transparency and risk management in their supply chains and contribute to the fulfilment of Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) reporting requirements.  

Swinburne Director of Sustainability and Procurement, Rhiannon Jones played a pivotal role as Co-Chair of the AUPN Modern Slavery Working Group. This group led a three-year program of work to develop, design and build a sector response to modern slavery.

The AUPN hopes that leveraging our aggregated buying power will improve our capacity to identify and action any modern slavery risks and drive more effective changes through our supply chains. 

The Australian Universities Procurement Network (AUPN) represent the Australian and New Zealand higher education sector, who work together to improve excellence in procurement practice and the skills of procurement professionals.

Interdisciplinary leader receives special commendation for research supervision

Professor Karen Malone has received a special commendation for Excellence in Graduate Research Supervision at the 2022 Australian Council of Graduate Research Awards.

Established in 2017, the ACGR Awards publicly promote outstanding performance in higher degree research supervision, leadership, and industry engagement. This year, the awards recognise exceptional academic staff whose dedication, professionalism and innovative practice truly makes a difference to research cultures, HDR student experience and industry partnerships.

The commendation recognises Professor Malone’s contribution to a more sustainable, just and ethical world through her support for students as they focus on the social and ecological impacts of their research.

Professor Malone utilises a cohort-based model of supervision focused on developing a shared community of practice. This model supports students to engage in traditional one-to-one supervision, while also learning from a supportive research community of fellow students, supervisors, panel members and external experts.

Professor Malone has six higher degree research (HDR) students currently under supervision, as well as 16 HDR completions and over 18 doctoral theses examined. She has supported all her HDR students as they have modified their methodologies and research design to an inquiry online due to COVID-19. 

Swinburne’s global mobility expert wins TEMI award

Centre for Urban Transitions recognised by Planning Institute of Australia

Swinburne University of Technology academics, in collaboration with Maroondah City Council and Plan2Place, have been recognised with the Planning Institute of Australia Victorian President’s Award for their project and associated book Greening the Greyfields.

The project, led by Professor Peter Newton and Senior Research Fellow Dr Stephen Glackin from the Centre for Urban Transitions, puts cutting edge research into practice and sees the creation of the first precinct-scale, regenerative urban redevelopment zones for two precincts in the established ageing middle suburbs of Melbourne.

The project provides a playbook for other municipalities across the state and nationally to apply this new planning model to facilitate the coordinated urban renewal of middle ring suburbs. For academia, it provides a guide on how to successfully partner with government and industry to have a transformational impact on our cities and local communities.

Professor John Wilson recognised by Engineers Australia

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Swinburne Sarawak, Professor John Wilson, has been appointed as an Honorary Fellow by Engineers Australia for his contribution to shaping a generation of engineers.

A distinguished and internationally-recognised academic in the structural and earthquake engineering profession, Professor Wilson was recognised for his instrumental role in the ongoing strength and success of the Swinburne engineering program.

Professor Wilson’s role in positively influencing government infrastructure investment was also recognised.

Becoming an Honorary Fellow is an elevation to the highest Engineers Australia membership grade and recognises conspicuous service to the profession of engineering or outstanding achievement.

Australia Day Honours 2022

Prestigious honour for Swinburne engineer

Distinguished Professor in Electrical Renewable Energy Saad Mekhilef has been appointed a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Distinguished Professor Mekhilef was recognised for his contributions to control methods for photovoltaic systems and multi-level inverters.

The honour is one of the IEEE’s most prestigious and is bestowed on a very limited number of Senior Members who are bringing significant value to society through the advancement or application of engineering, science and technology.