Professor Hongdong Li is a Tenured Professor at the School of Computing, Australian National University (ANU), within the College of Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on 3D Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and their applications in dynamic environments. He has held visiting roles at Carnegie Mellon University and has contributed to significant projects like the Australia Bionic Eyes initiative. Education: PhD (Electrical Engineering). Research Interests : 3D Computer Vision fundamentals and applied AI systems Learning-based 3D perception for plant sciences Robot navigation in unfamiliar environments Awards : Marr Prize Honourable Mention CVPR Best Paper Award Advising & Grants : Supervised 40+ PhD students, with funding from ARC, CSIRO, Microsoft, and firms like OPPO/Tencent. Active in projects such as bushfire detection via video analytics and sign language translation systems. Labs/Teams : Co-founder of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV). Collaborates globally on cross-view localization and autonomous systems.
Ron Steinfeld is an Associate Professor in the Department of Software Systems & Cybersecurity at Monash University, Australia. He holds editorial roles in Designs Codes and Cryptography (since 2017) and has served on technical committees for top-tier conferences like ASIACRYPT, CRYPTO, and EUROCRYPT. His research focuses on quantum-safe cryptography, lattice-based cryptography, and blockchain security, with over 80 refereed publications and AUD$4M+ in research funding. Education: BSc Mathematics and Physics (Monash University, 1998) BE (Hons., First Class) Electrical and Computer Systems (Monash University, 2000) PhD Computer Science (Monash University, 2003) Research Interests: Design and analysis of cryptographic algorithms, quantum-safe protocols, lattice-based security foundations, and blockchain applications. His work underpins NIST standard algorithms like Kyber and Dilithium through structured lattice problem research. Recent Articles Trends: Focus on privacy-preserving blockchain protocols, post-quantum signature schemes, encrypted data search, and cryptographic applications in adversarial AI. Recent work includes fair Bitcoin watchtower schemes and genomic database privacy solutions. Awards: ASIACRYPT 2015 Best Paper Award Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD projects on quantum-safe cryptography and blockchain security. Leads initiatives like the AUD$4M ARC-funded Quantum Information Technology project. Collaborates with industry partners including CSIRO/Data61. Labs/Teams: Key contributor to Monash’s cybersecurity and cryptography research groups, involving interdisciplinary projects on materials discovery ( Æinstein initiative) and post-quantum blockchain security.
Roles and Affiliations: Professor David Levinson is a Professor of Transport in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney since 2017. He holds adjunct faculty status at the University of Minnesota's Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering (since 1999–2016). He previously directed the Accessibility Observatory and the Networks, Economics, and Urban Systems (NEXUS) research group. He is a member of The Net Zero Institute and leads the TransportLab research group. Education: PhD 1998 in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. Research Interests: Focuses on transportation networks, urban systems, accessibility analysis, and policy. Key themes include spatial equity, transport economics, and the co-evolution of land use and transport infrastructure. His work emphasizes data-driven approaches to urban mobility challenges, including modeling transport networks and evaluating infrastructure impacts on accessibility and equity. Grants and Projects: Recent grants include Design of micro-decisions in automated transport (2022, ARC) and Reducing pedestrian crashes through better intersection design (2021, Australian Road Safety Innovation). Collaborates internationally on projects like the Accessibility Observatory. Labs and Teams: Leads the TransportLab and collaborates with the NEXUS group. Active in interdisciplinary research, including urban analytics and transport policy.
Professor Scott Sisson is Director of the UNSW Data Science Hub (uDASH) and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at the University of New South Wales, School of Mathematics and Statistics. His research focuses on computational statistics, particularly solving 'intractable' statistical problems through Bayesian methods, big data techniques, simulation algorithms, and extreme value theory with environmental applications. Education includes a PhD in Statistics from Bristol University (2002), MSc in Environmental Statistics from Lancaster University (1997), and BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from Lancaster University (1996). Research interests span: Bayesian statistics and uncertainty quantification Big data analytics and scalable algorithms Machine learning integration with statistical methods Extreme value modeling for climate/environment Computational techniques for intractable problems Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on Bayesian computation, spatiotemporal modeling, and interdisciplinary applications in materials science, oncology, quantum computing, transportation policy, and ecology. Methodological innovations include likelihood-free inference, modular Bayesian analyses, and symbolic data modeling. Awards and honors: 2020 Service Award (Statistical Society of Australia) 2017 ARC Future Fellowship 2015 G. N. Alexander Medal (Engineers Australia) 2011 Moran Medal (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 J.G. Russell Award (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship As Director of uDASH, he leads data science initiatives across UNSW. He maintains sustained ARC funding and supervises students in computational statistics, Bayesian methods, extreme value theory, and machine learning. Professional service includes editorial roles for Statistics and Computing and past presidency of Statistical Society of Australia.
Massimo Piccardi is a Professor of Natural Language Processing (NLP), Computer Vision, and Machine Learning at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) , where he has been since 2002. He currently serves as the Head of the School of Electrical and Data Engineering and leads the Big Data Analytics program at the Global Big Data Technologies Centre. His research focuses on advancing NLP, machine learning applications in healthcare, and cybersecurity in IoT systems. He has authored over 200 journal papers and conference proceedings, secured significant ARC and CRC grants, and holds the IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Contributor Award (2022). Education & Professional Roles: Joined UTS in 2002, progressing from Associate Professor (2002–2007) to Professor (2008–present). Serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Big Data and Editor for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. Active in professional societies including IEEE, ACL, and ALTA (President, 2023–2024). Research Interests: Core areas include NLP (translation, summarization, adversarial attacks), healthcare informatics (clinical NLP, health service analysis), and cybersecurity (IoT security, privacy-preserving systems). Cross-cutting themes include generative models, cross-lingual systems, and ethical AI. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator on ARC Discovery/Linkage projects and CRC grants. Recent projects include controllable machine translation (Amazon), privacy-preserving digital agriculture, and STEM innovation (ASTRID project with NBN Co). Labs & Collaborations: Leads the UTS Global Big Data Technologies Centre, collaborating on projects like adversarial NLP attacks, medical machine translation, and secure IoT frameworks.
Dr. Farha Sattar is a Lecturer in Education (Mathematics) at the Faculty of Arts and Society, Charles Darwin University. With over thirty years of teaching experience in Mathematics, Science education, GIS, Remote Sensing, and e-Learning technologies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Dr. Sattar brings extensive expertise to her academic role. She holds a PhD in Geospatial Science from Charles Darwin University, focusing on Spatial Mathematical Modelling for 3D Gully Mapping and Erosion Quantification. Her educational background includes: PhD in Geospatial Science (Three Dimensional Gully Mapping and Erosion Quantification within a Geoinformatics Framework), Charles Darwin University (2012) Prior academic experience at several Asian and European universities Dr. Sattar's research spans multiple interdisciplinary fields with a strong focus on the intersection of education and technology. Her primary research interests include Mathematics Education, STEM Education, Geoscience Education, Spatial Mathematical Modelling, Drone Technology, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Innovative Pedagogies such as experiential learning and inquiry-based approaches. She has developed expertise in cognitive development, particularly in fostering critical and creative thinking skills through iSTEM approaches. An analysis of Dr. Sattar's recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory toward integrating emerging technologies like drones, augmented reality, and geospatial artificial intelligence into educational contexts. Her work demonstrates a progression from foundational geospatial research on erosion mapping to innovative applications in STEM education. Recent publications increasingly focus on drone technology for educational purposes, spatial data infrastructure for policy development, and computational thinking development through technology-enhanced learning. Dr. Sattar has received numerous accolades for her contributions to education and research: NT Science Week Awards – Inspired NT STEM Hero of the Year award (2021) Long Service Recognition Award (2023) Finalist, CDU Alumni Award (2023) Multiple Best Presentation Awards (2008, 2010, 2017) Australian College of Educators - 2021 College Medal Nominee As a supervisor, Dr. Sattar mentors postgraduate research students including Ayesha Farhan, who is working on "A Framework for Cognitive Development: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking Skills, Using iSTEM Approach." She actively secures research funding through various projects such as "DBELaSTEM: Drone-Based Experiential Learning and STEM Education," "STEM_D & VR: Youth STEM Learning and Empowerment with Drones and VR," and "CodProg Drone Lab." Her research is supported by grants from NT Government projects and other external funding sources. Dr. Sattar leads the CodProg Drone Lab, an innovative research space exploring drone technology applications in education. She is a certified drone pilot and aeronautical radio operator, which enables her to bridge theoretical knowledge with practical applications. Her work with the "Flying Forward: Drones, STEM Equity, and Indigenous Empowerment" initiative demonstrates her commitment to community engagement and addressing educational disparities through technology.
Professor Jiti Gao is a Donald Cochrane Chair in Econometrics & Business Statistics at Monash University's Faculty of Business and Economics. He leads the Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, specializing in non- and semi-parametric econometrics, time-series analysis, and panel data methodologies. His research focuses on developing statistical models for climate change, energy demand, and financial forecasting. Affiliations: Monash University, Impact Labs Grants: Multiple ARC Discovery Projects (e.g., 2020–2025 on climate-energy time series, 2017–2020 on econometric model building) Collaborations: CSIRO, Yale University, and international partners from China, Norway, and Singapore Research interests include climate econometrics, financial time series, and policy evaluation. Over 136 publications span econometric theory and applications, with recent work on nonlinear trending models and quantile regression. His grants emphasize methodological advancements in time series and panel data analysis. Awards: Not explicitly mentioned, but recognition includes Australian Professorial Fellow status and international research leadership roles. Advising/Grants: Primary Investigator on multiple ARC-funded projects, focusing on climate modeling and financial econometrics Labs/Teams: Part of Monash's Impact Labs and collaborates with global institutions on climate and econometric initiatives
Associate Professor Mohsen Kalantari is a Geospatial Engineering academic at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Civil and Environmental Engineering , with concurrent roles as co-founder of the startup Faramoon . His career spans roles at the University of Melbourne's Department of Infrastructure Engineering and Victorian government's land administration initiatives through DELWP. Education : PhD in Geomatics Engineering (2008, University of Melbourne), Master of GIS Engineering (2004), Bachelor of Surveying Engineering (2001) His research bridges geospatial engineering with construction automation , focusing on 3D cadastre , BIM-GIS integration , and smart cities . Recent publications show trends in underground land administration , digital twins , and LADM standard implementations . Scientific Awards : National educational recognition (2019), Victorian educational grants (2018), and prestigious fellowships (2012) As a supervisor , he guides PhD candidates in topics ranging from BIM for waste management to underground cadastral systems . His industry engagement includes partnerships with the United Nations , Open Geospatial Consortium , and Singapore Land Authority .
Dr. Alyas Widita is an Assistant Professor in the Urban Design program at Monash University, Indonesia. He is actively involved in research and teaching, focusing on urban planning, transportation, and smart city technologies. He serves as the Program Coordinator for Urban Design and teaches courses such as Urban Design Studio: Smart City and Smart City Technologies. Education: Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, United States Dr. Widita's research centers on the built environment, transportation systems, and urban analytics, with a strong emphasis on developing Asian cities. His work explores congestion impacts of mass transit, ride-hailing effects on vehicle ownership, rural-urban migration, walking behavior, and spatial patterns of MSMEs. He employs advanced data analytics and causal evaluation methods to inform urban policy. His recent publications span high-impact journals such as Transport Reviews , Journal of Planning Education and Research , and Travel Behaviour and Society . The research trend shows a consistent focus on data-driven urban policy, sustainable mobility, and equity in urban development across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Scientific Awards and Recognition: No specific awards listed, but research widely cited and featured in media outlets. Dr. Widita has secured and contributed to multiple research projects funded by international and national agencies, including the World Bank, Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), Central Bank of Indonesia, and Georgia Department of Transportation. He is currently leading or co-leading projects on Jakarta’s subsidence, flood risk management using remote sensing, and the Citarum River revitalization. He collaborates extensively with researchers across disciplines and institutions. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to sustainable cities and communities. He is accepting PhD students interested in the built environment, transportation, and urban analytics in developing Asia. He is involved in key labs and research teams including the Citarum Action Research Program (CARP), Intelligent and Dynamic Remote Sensing for Flood Risk, and interdisciplinary urban analytics initiatives at Monash Indonesia.
Dr. Kanchana Thilakarathna is a Senior Lecturer in Distributed Computing at the University of Sydney's School of Computer Science, and a member of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing. They hold a PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a B.Sc. Eng (Hons) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Prior to academia, they worked as a Research Scientist at CSIRO/Data61 and had industry experience as a Mobile Radio Network Engineer. Research Interests : Dr. Thilakarathna focuses on cybersecurity, privacy in mobile and IoT systems, mixed reality privacy, and distributed computing platforms. Their work emphasizes user-centric solutions like the Yalut social media app, which enables decentralized data sharing. Key themes include privacy-preserving techniques, edge computing, and secure federated learning frameworks. Recent Work : Recent articles (2023–2025) explore machine unlearning for large language models, federated learning security, and IoT network slicing using P4 programmability. Their work on synthetic video traffic generation (VideoTrain++) and drone detection (DronePrint) demonstrates cross-disciplinary innovation. Awards : Malcolm Chaikin Prize (2015), Meta Research Awards (2020/2022), and Heidelberg Laureate Fellowship (2019). Grants : ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing (2024), NSW Defence Innovation Network Projects (2024/2021), and Facebook Research Awards (2022/2020). Students : Advising 4 current PhD students on topics like wireless trust establishment and machine unlearning. Labs/Teams : Part of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing and Sydney Nano Institute.
Dr. Alireza Nili is a Senior Lecturer in Service Science at QUT's School of Information Systems within the Faculty of Science. His expertise spans digitization of customer-centric services, AI/chatbots, IoT/IIoT, and sustainable technologies. He holds a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington and has coordinated large-scale courses like IT Systems Design (IFB103), achieving top teaching scores. Nili's research focuses on service ecosystems, trust in digital services, and public/retail sector innovations. He has secured over $1.4M in industry grants for projects involving Cisco, Amazon, and Services Australia. His awards include the 2023 Educator of the Year and multiple top conference paper recognitions. Nili supervises PhD students at Level 3 mentoring status and contributes to major conferences as track chair/associate editor. Research highlights include frameworks for chatbot governance, IOT in agriculture, and AI ethics. His work appears in IEEE Software , Communications of the ACM , and MIT Sloan Management Review . Current projects address consumer trust in AI technologies and spatial data systems. Nili's interdisciplinary approach combines design science with empirical methodologies to bridge theory and practice in digital service innovation.
Yang Song is an ARC Future Fellow and Scientia Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering , University of New South Wales (UNSW) . She serves as Associate Head of School (Research) and Co-Director of iCinema , focusing on AI and Computer Vision applications for social good. Education: BEng in Computer Engineering (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), PhD in Computer Science (UNSW, 2013) Research Areas: Biomedical image analysis, human-centred AI, graph data modeling, neuro-symbolic learning, and AI trustworthiness. Her work develops domain-specific deep learning models for radiological segmentation, histopathology cancer analysis, and 3D reconstruction. Recent projects address explainability in LLMs, fairness in AI, and human-robot interaction frameworks. With over 200 peer-reviewed publications in top venues like CVPR , MICCAI , and NeurIPS , her research spans biomedical imaging, robotics, and general multimodal AI. Scientific Awards include: 2024: ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Human-Robot Teaming 2023: Google Inclusion Research Award 2022: NHMRC Ideas Grant for computational brain imaging 2021: UNSW Engineering Research Excellence Award 2020: Scientia Fellowship (UNSW) 2019: ARC Future Fellowship She supervises 24 current PhD/MPhil students and has graduated 15 advisees, including placements at Harvard University and Siemens Healthineers. Her grants include collaborations with Surf Life Saving Australia and industry partnerships for AI-driven solutions.
Professor Libby Porter is a leading academic and researcher in urban planning and human geography at RMIT University, Australia. As Director of the Centre for Urban Research (CUR) and Professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies (GUSS), her work focuses on critical urban governance, decolonising planning practices, Indigenous rights, and urban displacement. She holds a prestigious position as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has contributed extensively to international policy debates through her role as Assistant Editor for Planning Theory and Practice . Her research examines settler-colonial dynamics in urban development, public housing policy, and the intersection of planning with Indigenous sovereignty. Notable publications include Unlearning the Colonial Cultures of Planning (2010) and Planning in Indigenous Australia (2018). Libby has held academic roles in the UK and Australia and previously worked in urban planning policy for Victorian Government departments. She supervises students in Honours, Masters, and PhD programs, focusing on topics like Indigenous housing, urban displacement, and environmental policy. Her work has been featured in The Conversation , BBC News, and academic journals. Libby also leads the Critical Urban Governance Research Program and oversees the Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning at RMIT. Awards: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Key Roles: Director, Centre for Urban Research; Co-founder, Planners Network UK; Member, Expert Advisory Panel for Melbourne 2030 Research Themes: Property rights, urban sustainability, decolonisation, Indigenous planning, gentrification
Associate Professor Sam Kirshner is a faculty member at the University of New South Wales within the School of Information Systems and Technology Management . His research focuses on behavioral decision making , algorithmic impact on operations , and artificial intelligence applications in business contexts. PhD in Management Science from Queen’s University, Canada Teaching expertise in data visualization, predictive analytics, and AI ethics Co-author of Business Analytics: A Management Approach Member of the Ethical AI Advisory His research explores how psychological distance and construal level theory influence decisions in supply chains, technology management, and consumer behavior. Recent work examines ChatGPT's decision biases , algorithm aversion , and sustainable operations under financial constraints. Key publication trends show focus areas: AI ethics and human-AI collaboration Behavioral supply chain analysis Temporal/spatial psychological distance effects CO2 forecasting with sparse data Consumer behavior in digital platforms Virtual reality and cognitive processing Supervision roles include mentoring 2 PhD students and 6 honors students, contributing to the next generation of scholars in business analytics and technology management.
Professor Luke Prendergast is the Deputy Dean of the School of Computing, Engineering & Mathematical Sciences (SCEMS) at La Trobe University (LTU) and holds a Professorship in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. He previously served as Head of Department (2014–2020) and led LTU's Statistics Consulting Platform. His research focuses on robust statistics, meta-analysis, dimension reduction, and applied statistics, leading the DRAMA research group. Collaborations span fields like endocrinology, disability studies, and respiratory health. He actively contributes to research grants, including projects on Prader-Willi syndrome and exercise for disability populations. Professor Prendergast's recent work emphasizes statistical software development (e.g., the rquest package) and applications in biostatistics, such as metabolomics analysis and health intervention fidelity. His articles address topics like quantile-based hypothesis testing, geospatial accessibility for disability care, and motivational interviewing efficacy. Professional roles include NHMRC grant review panels, editorial boards for Nutrients and Respirology , and leadership in the Statistical Society of Australia (SSA Vic). His teaching includes courses in meta-analysis, linear models, and data-based critical thinking. Grants funded projects on exercise programs for cerebral palsy populations and community-university partnerships for disability inclusion. Luke's work bridges statistical theory with real-world health challenges, emphasizing robust methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration.
