Warren Smith

Associate Professor Warren Smith is a faculty member in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra campus. He serves as the Naval Architecture Coordinator and has held various leadership positions including Head of School from 2003-2009. With a background in naval architecture and operations research, Professor Smith has established himself as a leading educator and researcher in maritime engineering and design education.

Professor Smith holds a PhD in Operations Research from the University of Houston, an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the same institution, and a BE in Naval Architecture with First Class Honours from UNSW Sydney. His extensive professional experience includes 20 years as a Naval Architect with the Australian Department of Defence (1978-1998), where he held various specialist engineering, research and managerial positions.

Professor Smith's primary research interests span Naval Architecture, Ship Design and Safety, Engineering Design Education, and Complex Systems. He has pioneered authentic and immersive experiential learning approaches, particularly through student design competitions. His work in systems modeling, decision-based design, and optimization methods has contributed significantly to both naval architecture and engineering education fields. Professor Smith has developed innovative frameworks for ship design optimization, particularly for high-speed planing craft, and has explored the application of evolutionary algorithms to complex engineering problems.

His recent scholarly output demonstrates a continued focus on naval architecture education, maritime engineering, and interdisciplinary applications of optimization techniques. Professor Smith has expanded his research into aircraft proximity systems and air traffic management, showing the transferability of his systems engineering approach across domains. His work consistently bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in both maritime and aerospace contexts.

• AGM Michell Medal, Mechanical College Board of Engineers Australia for outstanding service to mechanical engineering (2018)
• Australian Council of Engineering Deans National Award for Engineering Education Excellence
• Re-Engineering Australia Foundation Founder's Award for Outstanding Contributions to the F1inSchools Program (2017, 2013)
• Australian Society for Operations Research Conference Best Paper Award (2016)
• UNSW Canberra Community Engagement Award for Services to the F1inSchools Program (2013)
• UNSW Canberra Rector's Commendation for Excellence in Classroom Teaching (2010)
• ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2008)
• AAEE Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2008)
• Ship Shape 2000, Royal Institution of Naval Architects Walter Atkinson Prize (1993)

Professor Smith has been instrumental in developing and leading numerous student design competitions that provide authentic learning experiences. He has served as Faculty Advisor for the Formula SAE Student Design & Build Competition (2003-2013 at UNSW Canberra, 2013-2014 at University of Oklahoma) and as National Coordinator for the Warman Design & Build Project & Competition (2002-2021). He currently chairs the Re-Engineering Australia National Rules Committee and serves as Chair of Judges for F1inSchools and Subs in Schools competitions. His educational leadership extends to mentoring first-year engineering students and researching the development of student teamwork competencies.

Professor Smith leads the UNSW Canberra Warman Design and Build Project & Competition (1998-present) and is actively involved with the Re-Engineering Australia Foundation as ACT Hub Chair (2007-present). His work connects academic research with practical engineering challenges through student competitions that engage thousands of participants annually. These initiatives form an integrated ecosystem for engineering education that spans from primary school through to university level.