Thilina Halloluwa

Dr. Thilina Halloluwa is a Teaching Focused Lecturer in the Department of Human-Centred Computing at The University of Queensland (UQ). He holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Queensland University of Technology (2019) and a Computer Science undergraduate degree from the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology. With over 15 years of academic and industry experience, his research emphasizes real-world impact in education technology, financial inclusion, smart agriculture, and HCI.

Educational Background:

• PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Queensland University of Technology (2019)
• Bachelor of Computer Science, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology

Research Interests:

• Education for All: Leveraging technology to enhance collaborative learning and social experiences in education.
• Human Money Interaction: Designing ethical AI solutions for financial services, particularly for underserved communities.
• Smart Agro: Developing AI-driven tools for crop disease detection, yield optimization, and precision agriculture.
• Software Project Estimation: Improving effort estimation accuracy through explainable AI (Metrix project).

Key Contributions:

• Developed UrbanAgro (tomato disease detection) and BellCrop (bell pepper disease datasets).
• Pioneered Dhana Labha, a financial management tool for rural Sri Lankan communities.
• Advanced online exam proctoring systems for low-resource settings.

Previous Roles:

• Lecturer at University of Sydney (2023)
• Senior Lecturer at University of Colombo (2013–2023)

Lab/Team Affiliations:

• Smart Agro Project: AI-driven agricultural solutions
• Metrix Initiative: Software project estimation frameworks