معرفی
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.
