Find Academic Supervisors

Sambit DattaView profile

Professor

• Computational Design
• Urban Science
• Architectural Computing
• +6 more

Sambit Datta is the Dean, International of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University. He holds a Professorship in Computational Urban Science within the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences. His academic roles include adjunct positions at IIT Kharagpur, India, and NYUST Taiwan. He is a registered architect in India and a member of the Australian Institute of Architects. Prof. Datta's education includes a Dipl. Arch from CEPT University, M.Arch from the National University of Singapore, and a PhD in Computational Design from the University of Adelaide. He has received the Michael Ventris Memorial Award and served as a scholar at the Architectural Association, London. His research focuses on computational design, urban science, and AI-driven architectural innovation. He leads the Computational Design Research Laboratory (Codelab) and contributes to the Curtin Institute for Computation. His work spans generative grammars, sensor networks in healthcare, and digital heritage preservation. Key publications include studies on sensor-fusion environments, DFA (Design-Fabrication-Assembly) systems, and virtual reconstructions of historical temples. He has authored books on computational urban science and early temple architecture. Professional engagements include roles as Corresponding Editor for the Nexus Network Journal and Secretary of the CAADRIA (Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia).

Ilana MushinView profile

Professor

• Linguistics
• Discourse Analysis
• Pragmatics
• +9 more

Professor Ilana Mushin is a linguist affiliated with the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland . Her research focuses on discourse analysis, pragmatics, and the study of Australian First Nations Languages, particularly Garrwa. She is a Chief Investigator on the ARC Discovery Project 'Conversational Interaction in Aboriginal and Remote Australia' (CIARA) and has authored/edited multiple publications on Aboriginal English, classroom interaction, and linguistic typology. Research Interests : Discourse-Cognition-Grammar Interface, Epistemic Stance, Conversation Analysis, Narrative Structure, Language Maintenance, Indigenous Pedagogy. Supervision : Advised PhD/Master's students on topics including Bahasa Indonesian discourse, Vietnamese social competence, and Hijazi Arabic modals. Grants : ARC Discovery Projects (2018-2024, 2015-2019, 2014-2017), MRFF Indigenous Health Research Grant (2021-2023). Publications : Over 60 works including books on Garrwa grammar, Aboriginal English, and edited volumes on Indigenous language and social identity.

Joe BlytheView profile

Associate Professor

• Australian Aboriginal Languages
• Conversation Analysis and Interactional Linguistics
• Gesture
• +3 more

Joe Blythe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University. He specializes in Interactional Linguistics with a focus on Australian Indigenous languages such as Murrinhpatha, Gija, and Jaru. As co-leader of the Macquarie Linguistics Conversation Analysis Lab, he explores the interplay between linguistic structure and social action, emphasizing how conversational dynamics shape language evolution. Current projects include the ARC-funded CIARA (investigating Aboriginal conversational norms) and OzSpace (examining spatial language and cognition in Indigenous communities). Research Interests: Aboriginal Languages, Conversation Analysis, Kinship Systems, Child Language Acquisition, Language Evolution Teaching: Convenes courses on Indigenous Languages, Morphosyntax, and Language Evidence Leadership: Vice-President (Conferences) of the Australian Linguistic Society His work bridges ethnographic fieldwork with theoretical linguistics, analyzing how social interaction influences linguistic structures. Recent studies focus on multiparty conversation dynamics in endangered languages and the role of environment in shaping spatial semantics.

• Statistical Signal Processing
• Control Systems
• Optimization
• +4 more

Professor Lang White is a faculty member at the University of Adelaide, holding the position of Professor of Electrical Engineering within the School of Psychology and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. His research focuses on statistical signal processing, control systems, optimization, and multi-agent systems with applications in defense, AI-human interaction, and communication networks. He leads projects on hidden reciprocal chain modeling, sensor array processing, and game-theoretic resource allocation strategies. Collaborations include institutions in Italy, France, and the U.S., and he is actively involved in defense-funded initiatives. Current research areas include Bayesian rationality in satisfaction games, Stackelberg game models for asymmetric conflict, and adaptive reinforcement learning algorithms. He has secured postdoctoral positions in human-AI interaction and maintains expertise in MIMO radar waveform design and TCP congestion control. His work bridges engineering and psychology, addressing interdisciplinary challenges in decision-making and system optimization. Professor White seeks consultancy opportunities in signal processing and control systems for defense clients and contributes to academic outreach through conference presentations and journal publications. He advises on emerging trends in distributed optimization and maintains a lab focused on temporal modeling and stochastic processes.

Lyn TieuView profile

Research Fellow

• Linguistics
• Semantics
• Pragmatics
• +4 more

Lyn Tieu holds dual roles as an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Macquarie University's Department of Linguistics Hearing Research Centre and an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto (since July 2022). Her research focuses on semantics, pragmatics, and experimental approaches to language processing. Key interests include scalar implicature, emoji interpretation, and prosodic effects in language. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with empirical methods, examining topics such as free choice inferences, cross-linguistic disjunction patterns, and social media's impact on communication among individuals with language disorders. Collaborations involve international teams across disciplines, including cognitive psychology and disability studies. Notable contributions include foundational studies on emoji semantics and experimental validation of pragmatic theories. Her research outputs span 44 peer-reviewed articles, with recent emphasis on digital communication and linguistic theory.

Michelle LiuView profile

Lecturer

• Philosophy of Mind
• Consciousness
• Philosophy of Language
• +4 more

Michelle Liu is a Lecturer in Philosophy at Monash University, specializing in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and aesthetics. Her research examines consciousness, polysemy in language, mental imagery in comprehension, musical expressiveness, and the aesthetics of poetry and abstract art. She serves as secretary of the Australasian Society for Philosophy and Psychology. Key research explores polysemy processing, revelation in consciousness, cross-domain descriptions, and the role of mental simulation in language comprehension. Her work connects empirical cognitive science with philosophical analysis of concepts. Liu has received recognition including the Annette Baier Prize (2024), Paul Bourke Award (2024), and Finnish Society for Aesthetics Article of the Year (2023). Current projects investigate emotion descriptions in music, zeugmatic phenomena, and intersensory artistic expressions. She completed her DPhil at Oxford (2019) and held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship.

Debra AaronsView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Linguistic Analysis of Humor
• Pragmatics
• Signed Language Linguistics
• +5 more

Dr. Debra Aarons is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics within the School of Humanities & Languages at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in the linguistic analysis of humor and signed language linguistics. With a distinguished academic career spanning decades, she has established herself as a leading researcher at the intersection of language structure, cultural expression, and comedic performance. Her educational background includes: BA (Majors English and Philosophy) from Witwatersrand University (1976) BA Honours (English Literature) from Witwatersrand University (1977) Higher Dip. Ed PG from Witwatersrand University (1979) BA Honours (Applied Linguistics) from Witwatersrand University (1986) PhD (Applied Linguistics) from Boston University (1994) Dr. Aarons' research centers on the linguistic structures of humor , examining both formal grammatical properties and pragmatic dimensions of jokes and comedic performance. She investigates how linguistic play reveals tacit knowledge of language systems and how cultural contexts shape humorous expression. Her work spans multiple domains including standup comedy analysis, Jewish comedy traditions, and language play in both spoken and signed modalities. Earlier in her career, she made significant contributions to South African Sign Language linguistics , examining syntactic structures, sociolinguistic variation, and educational inclusion for deaf communities. Analysis of her publication record reveals a clear evolution from foundational work in sign language linguistics to her current specialization in humor studies, while maintaining connections between these fields through her interest in language structure. Recent publications demonstrate particular focus on socially critical standup comedy, with detailed analyses of performers like Sarah Silverman and examinations of Jewish comedy traditions across historical contexts. Her work consistently bridges theoretical linguistics with cultural analysis, revealing how language structures underpin comedic expression across diverse media and social settings. Her scholarly recognition includes: British Council Scholarship (Lancaster UK, 1986) Fulbright Scholarship (Boston University, 1987) University of Bologna, Senior Visiting Fellowship (2017) Dr. Aarons maintains an active research program with ongoing collaborative projects, particularly with Marc Mierowsky. She is currently co-authoring a monograph titled 'Playing with Food and Language: Eating, Joking and Disgust' with Delia Chiaro for Taylor and Francis. Her research methodology combines rigorous linguistic analysis with cultural context, examining how language structures facilitate humor across different communicative settings. Though specific laboratory structures aren't detailed, her collaborative publication pattern suggests active research partnerships across disciplines. Her work bridges linguistics with cultural studies, performance studies, and cognitive science, creating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the complex relationship between language structure and humorous expression.

• Digital Media
• Data-Driven Culture
• Self-Tracking Technology
• +5 more

Suneel Jethani is Senior Lecturer in Digital and Social Media at the University of Technology Sydney's School of Communication. His work interrogates the complex integration of digital technologies into everyday life, focusing on spatial transformations, data ethics, and the political implications of technological systems. PhD and MA in Media & Communication from University of Melbourne Grad Dip in Marketing from Monash University BSc in Computer Science from University of Melbourne Research interests span three main areas: Critical analysis of digital/data technologies' integration into daily life Emerging risk discourses around generative AI and knowledge workers Rhythm as analytical framework for understanding technology-mediated practices Recent publications examine: Data provenance as ethical methodology Surveillance capitalism's impact on leisure (2023 Griffith Review essay) Critical technopolitics frameworks Domestic deployment of punitive monitoring systems Rhythmanalytical approaches to technology studies He previously worked in open data policy reform for Victorian Government (2017-2020) and co-authored Openness in Practice (2021). His methodological approach combines: Technopolitical analysis Critical data studies Embodied computing critique Rhythmanalytical frameworks Decolonial design considerations Interdisciplinary ethical inquiry

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Physical Activity
• +3 more

Takemi Sugiyama is a researcher specializing in the intersection of urban environments and public health. His work focuses on how built environments influence physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health outcomes across diverse populations, including older adults, refugees, and workers. He has collaborated extensively on studies such as the International Mind, Activities, and Urban Places (iMAP) cohort study and the RESIDE project evaluating urban planning policies in Perth, Australia. Key research themes include: urban design and walkability; the impact of green spaces on mental health; workplace sitting patterns; and interventions to promote active transport. His studies frequently employ spatial analysis, sensor technologies, and multi-country comparisons to explore environmental determinants of health behaviors. Notable contributions include: Systematic reviews on office environments and refugee children's physical activity Analysis of walkability disparities in Japan and Australia Investigations into sedentary behavior moderation through environmental interventions His work bridges epidemiology, urban planning, and public health to inform policies promoting healthy living environments.

Soma SomasundaraswaranView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Transport Engineering
• Road Safety
• Highway Design
• +4 more

Dr Soma Somasundaraswaran is a Senior Lecturer in Transport Engineering at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He holds a Doctorate from Yokohama National University, Japan, and has extensive academic experience including roles at University College London (UK), University of Calgary (Canada), and University of Ruhuna (Sri Lanka). His professional registrations include Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ). Education Background: BScEng in Civil Engineering from University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka MEng in Civil Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand DEng in Transport Engineering from Yokohama National University, Japan Research Interests: Focuses on road safety, highway design, traffic engineering, and engineering education. His work explores spatial configuration impacts on pedestrian behavior, crash modification factors, and infrastructure design for heavy vehicles. Recent studies emphasize Space Syntax analysis for urban walkability and post-COVID healthcare wayfinding systems. Professional Affiliations: Active in Engineers Australia (CPEng), Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE), and National Engineering Register (NER). Collaborates with institutes like the Institute for Resilient Regions and Centre for Future Materials. Teaching: Delivers courses on Transportation Engineering, Geometric Design of Roads, Pavement Analysis, and Municipal Services. Known for innovative approaches in online engineering education during pandemic disruptions.

• Italian Linguistics
• Ancient Greek and Latin Language and Literature
• Modern Latin
• +3 more

Associate Professor Yorick Gomez Gane holds a dual affiliation: he is an Associate Professor in Italian Linguistics at Università della Calabria (Italy) and an Honorary Associate Professor at The University of Queensland (UQ), School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry. Based in Italy, he facilitates academic collaboration between UQ and Italian institutions, notably organizing UQ Italy Tours in 2009 and 2013. His research focuses on historical linguistics, particularly Ancient Greek/Latin influences on Romance languages, lexicography, and fictional naming conventions. His expertise spans Ancient and Modern Latin studies Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Catalan) Word formation processes Historical lexicography Phraseological and onomastic studies Recent work emphasizes lexical evolution in Italian, including studies on suffixes, Greek loanwords, and Latin terminology adaptation. His publications blend philological rigor with interdisciplinary insights, often addressing language contact phenomena. No awards are listed, but his prolific output (14 works since 2012) reflects sustained scholarly engagement. He is actively supervising students and available for collaborative projects.

Bill PalmerView profile

Professor

• Spatial language and spatial cognition
• Linguistic typology
• Syntax
• +7 more

Professor Bill Palmer is a prominent linguist at the University of Newcastle, serving as Linguistics Discipline Lead and National President of the Australian Linguistics Society. He leads the Endangered Languages Documentation, Theory and Application research program and is Chief Investigator for the ARC DP OzSpace project 'Landscape, language and culture in Indigenous Australia.' His educational background includes a PhD and Master of Arts from the University of Sydney. Palmer has held academic positions at multiple institutions including the University of Newcastle (since 2008), University of Leeds, University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne, University of Western Sydney, University of the South Pacific, and the University of Sydney. Palmer's research focuses on spatial language and cognition, particularly spatial frames of reference, linguistic typology, syntax, phonology, and the Indigenous languages of Australia, Austronesian and Papuan languages. His groundbreaking work examines how environmental factors shape linguistic representations of space, with fieldwork conducted across Australia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, Central Asia and Saudi Arabia. His scholarly output reveals consistent focus on spatial cognition, endangered languages, and linguistic diversity. His recent work shows increasing emphasis on sociotopography - the interplay between environment, culture, and spatial language. Palmer's research demonstrates how physical landscapes directly influence linguistic structures, particularly in indigenous communities where language is deeply connected to place. Frank Coaldrake Scholarship (1994) Peter Lawrence Memorial Scholarship (1993, 1992) Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) (1992) Palmer has supervised 14 completed PhD and Masters students with one currently in progress, focusing on diverse linguistic topics from Australian to Pacific and Middle Eastern languages. His research program 'Endangered Languages Documentation, Theory and Application' includes over 15 researchers working globally to document languages at risk of extinction, reflecting his commitment to preserving linguistic diversity as a crucial component of human knowledge systems.

• Built Environment
• Structural Engineering
• Smart Buildings
• +4 more

Professor Zora Vrcelj is a distinguished academic at Victoria University, Australia, where she serves as Professor in the College of Engineering and Science. She is the founder and head of Victoria University's Built Environment program, bringing over two decades of academic experience to her role. Prior to joining Victoria University in 2012, she served as an academic at UNSW's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering for 12 years. Professor Vrcelj also holds a Visiting Professor position in Civil Engineering at the University of Novi Sad, Serbia since 2010. Professor Vrcelj earned her Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours 1) from the University of Wollongong (1999) and PhD in Structural Engineering from the University of New South Wales (2004). She has further enhanced her leadership capabilities through multiple specialized certificates from Harvard Business School Online, including Leadership and Management, Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Business in Society. She is also pursuing governance expertise through the Foundations of Directorship program with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Her research spans several critical areas in the built environment, with particular focus on smart buildings and infrastructure, sustainable construction materials (especially incorporating waste textiles and cardboard in concrete), digital transformation of construction processes, and engineering education. Professor Vrcelj has pioneered work on 'Tex-Crete' as part of circular economy solutions, developed digital platforms for construction quality control, and examined the social impacts of urban design features like gated communities in Middle Eastern cities. Professor Vrcelj has authored close to 150 peer-reviewed publications with significant citation impact in journals such as Engineering Structures and Journal of Cleaner Production. Her recent work shows a clear trend toward integrating digital technologies with sustainable construction practices while addressing social dimensions of urban development. President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Australia Section Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at Victoria University Member of the Executive Committee of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans (ACED) Secretary of the Australasian Universities Building Education Association (AUBEA) Professor Vrcelj has successfully supervised 10 PhD completions across structural engineering, digital construction, and sustainable materials research. She has secured over $3.5 million in competitive research funding from agencies including ARC, CRC, and Sustainability Victoria for projects addressing construction insolvency, sustainable concrete technologies, and digital transformation in construction. Her research teams work at the intersection of laboratory experimentation, field implementation, and digital innovation to solve complex challenges in the built environment.

Danielle BarthView profile

Associate Professor

• Corpus Linguistics
• Language Typology
• Oceanic Languages
• +5 more

Danielle Barth is an Associate Professor at the School of Culture, History and Language at Australian National University. She holds a BA in Linguistics from Rice University, MA in Linguistics from University of Oregon, and PhD in Linguistics from University of Oregon. Her research focuses on quantitative corpus linguistics, typology, and linguistic variation in minority and endangered languages, particularly languages of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region. She directs the Barth Lab for Corpus Linguistics and leads projects including Matukar Panau Language Documentation and the Social Cognition Parallax Interview Corpus (SCOPIC). She currently supervises multiple PhD students working on corpus-based documentation and usage-based variation projects. Her textbook 'Understanding Corpus Linguistics' provides foundational knowledge in the field.

Anna MargettsView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Language Documentation
• Linguistic Typology
• Syntax-Semantics Interface
• +13 more

Anna Margetts is a Senior Lecturer in the Linguistics Program at Monash University, where she has been a faculty member since 2002. Her academic journey includes a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, fieldwork on the Saliba language of Papua New Guinea, and prior studies at the University of Cologne and SUNY Buffalo. Research Interests: Language documentation and grammatical description Linguistic typology and semantic-syntactic mapping Discourse-syntax interface and narrative structure Three-participant events, valence, and transitivity Demonstratives and spatial deixis Child language acquisition and conceptual metaphors Her recent research focuses on cross-linguistic patterns in semantic encoding, particularly in caused motion and multimodal communication. The analysis of her publications reveals a consistent emphasis on empirical fieldwork, typological comparison, and the interplay between syntax, semantics, and discourse. She has led multiple ARC and VolkswagenStiftung-funded projects, demonstrating sustained external research support. Scientific Engagement: Guest editor and peer reviewer for John Benjamins, Oxford University Press, Linguistics , and Gesture Active contributor to the linguistic research community through editorial and review responsibilities Anna Margetts has supervised Honours, Masters, and PhD theses across diverse topics in linguistics. Her grants include major projects such as 'Where Gesture Meets Grammar' (ARC, 2024–2027) and 'Cross-Linguistic Patterns in Three-Participant Events' (VolkswagenStiftung). She is involved in collaborative, cross-linguistic research networks and continues to publish in leading linguistic venues. Labs and Research Teams: She leads and collaborates in cross-institutional research teams focused on multimodal communication and typological semantics, working with scholars from Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond. Her work integrates linguistic analysis with cognitive and anthropological perspectives.