Research interests

Faculty
discipline

Area of
specialisation

Staff member and
Research centre/group affiliation

Research Interests 

Agricultural, Civil and Environmental Engineering

• Construction management
  

Dr Vasantha Abeysekera

• Construction business management
• Health and safety
• Project finance
• Lean construction
• Construction productivity
• Procurement, alliancing, Security of payment, payment terms
• Site,time, project subcontractor, construction management 
• Engineering  management
• Quality management licensing
• Construction contracts
• Quantity surveying
• Construction economics

• Structural engineering
  and materials
  

Assoc Prof
Thiru Aravinthan
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Fibre composites
• Structural rehabilitation
• External post-tensioning
• Concrete technology and structures
• Engineering education

• Environmental
  (water) engineering

Dr Vasanthadevi Aravinthan
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Advanced wastewater treatment processes
• Bio-diesel production from algae grown  in different wastewaters
• Investigation of domestic water end-use using smart metering systems
• Harnessing energy from organic waste
• Engineering education

• Transport engineering  - road and traffic engineering
  

Prof Ron Ayers 
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG) 

• Rural transport
• Pavement engineering
• Engineering education

• Structural engineering
• Dynamics and mechanics
  of materials

Dr Sourish Banerjee 
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Solid mechanics
• Computational (Finite Element Analysis) / theoretical modeling and experimental investigation of the mechanical behaviour of advanced composite structures, biocomposites, cellular materials and sandwich panels
• Material development and optimal design for applications
• Dynamic behaviour of cellular structures and composites

• Soil Science

Dr John Bennett
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA)

• Soil salinity and sodicity interactions in dryland and irrigated systems
• Amelioration of high pH sodic soils, particularly through the use of lime and gypsum
• Interactions between chemical ameliorants and plants in structurally degraded soils
• Re-use of wastewater for irrigation of agricultural soils Use of composted organic waste to augment soil structur
• Use of composted organic waste to augment soil structure

• Urban hydrology

Dr Ian Brodie
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Stormwater treatment and re-use
• Urban drainage management
• Environmental impact of waste flows in receiving waters
• Floodplain management

• Engineering education

• Structural engineering

Prof Frank Bullen
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Site investigation and foundation design
• Characterisation of road pavement materials
• Road crash investigation and analysis
• Influence of micro and macrotexture on road surface safety
• Innovations in engineering education and leadership

• Agricultural and environmental
  engineering
  

Dr Guangnan Chen
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments
(ACSC) and National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA)

• Drying and post-harvest technologies
• Development of tools and technologies to reduce energy uses and greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture
• Teaching and program development in agricultural engineering

• Environmental engineering 

Dr Ian Craig
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments
(ACSC) 
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Water use efficiency and evaporation control technology
• Micrometeorology and air quality
• Cloud seeding project

• Engineering education

Ms Jo Devine Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Innovation in engineering education
• Construction innovation
• Safety in construction

• Highway engineering

Mr Trevor Drysdale 
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Highway engineering
• Construction management
• Management methods and applications

• Water and wastewater engineering

Dr Laszlo Erdei 
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Advanced treatment technologies
• Nanomaterials
• Hydroinformatics
• Process optimisation

• Agricultural and environmental
  engineering

Dr Joseph Foley
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Hydraulic simulation of pressurised irrigation systems
• Agricultural water use efficiency
• Sprinkler fluid dynamics

• Construction

Mrs Angela Fry

• Construction engineering

• Construction management

• Computational mechanics

Dr Kazem Ghabraie 
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC)Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Structural and geomechanical optimisation
• Optimum design of composite materials
• Finite element method
• Material design
• Smart materials
• Solid mechanics

• Irrigation 
• Environmental hydraulics

Dr Malcolm Gillies
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Prediction of soil infiltration rates
• Hydraulic modelling of furrow, bay and basin irrigation
• Maximising the uniformity of pressurised irrigation systems
• Development of software tools for irrigation system design and management
• Spatially varied flow in open channels and pipelines

• Agricultural engineering

Dr Troy Jensen
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Application of engineering technologies to agriculture
• Precision agriculture
• Agricultural mechanisation
• Animal and plant biosecurity
• Remote sensing
• Intensive animal industries and biomass reuse

• Structural engineering
• Materials

Assoc Prof Karu Karunasena
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Fibre composites
• Modelling and analysis of structures
• Rehabilitation of concrete, steel and timber structures
• Structural health monitoring
• Wave propagation in composite materials

• Structural engineering

Dr Weena Lokuge
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Concrete structures- rehabilitation
• Composite materials
• Infrastructure management

• Structural engineering

• Materials

Dr Allan Manalo
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Fibre composite materials and structures
• Housing materials and construction technology
• Timber engineering
• Innovative and hybrid infrastructures

• Soil, water and plant
  science
  

Dr Rabi Misra
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments
(ACSC) and National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Impact on reuse of wastewater (with focus on grey water)
• Precision irrigation strategies to accommodate spatial variability in soils and crops
• Nuclear magnetic resonance approaches to measurement of water
• Soil structure affecting compaction and erosion of soils
• Modelling of plant and soil processes
• Plant roots and the processes at the soil-root interface

• Irrigation and soil science

Prof Steve Raine
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA)

•  Design and management practices to improve the efficiency and productivity of both surface and pressurised irrigation systems
• Decision support systems for irrigation management
• Factors influencing soil slaking and dispersion and their subsequent effect on infiltration processes
• Mechanisms affecting soil aggregate hierarchy and structural stability
• Salinity, sodicity, soil-water and solute movement under commercial practices
• Natural resource management

• Geotechnical Engineering

Dr Jim Shiau
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC)

• Limit and shakedown analyses
• Numerical and experimental geomechanics
• Deep braced excavation
• Soft ground tunnelling

• Irrigation
• Environmental hydraulics

Prof Rod Smith
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA)

• Evaluation, simulation, optimisation and real time control of surface irrigation Infiltration from surface irrigation advance data
• Precision or prescription irrigation
• Development of diagnostic tools for mobile sprinkler irrigation systems Irrigation pipeline hydraulics
• Salinity and leaching

• Road and transport engineering

Dr Kathirgamalingam Somasundaraswaran
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Rural road pavement design strategies 
• Global road safety & crash investigation
• Freeway traffic flow analysis
• Traffic facility design and evaluation
• Airport studies
• Role of intermediate mode of transport in Asian developing countries

• Innovation
  and technology
  development/management
• Infrastructure
  development/management
• Project/contract
  delivery/management
• Engineering education

Dr David Thorpe
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Sustainable engineering development and management
• Technological innovation in the light of economic, environmental and social development
• Innovation in engineering construction and development
• Innovative delivery methods for postgraduate engineering coursework programs (such as the Master of Engineering)
• Development of engineering programs at a new campus

• Structural engineering

Dr Yan Zhuge
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Permeable concrete materials
• Fibre composite structures
• Seismic retrofitting of unreinforced/historical masonry structures using fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)
• Nonlinear analysis and modelling of structures under both static and dynamic loads
• Recycling and reuse of wasted materials
• Natural fibre composite structures

Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

• Electrical machines
• Photovoltaic generation
• Energy storage
  

Dr Tony Ahfock
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC) Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Low frequency electromagnetics
• Electrical machines
• Energy storage
• Electricity markets

• Power, Electronics and Automation

Dr Leslie Bowtell Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Power quality & efficiency of grid connected
• PV systems
• Dispersed power quality control with ‘smart’ multi-quadrant inverters
• High power magnetostrictive ultrasonic chemical agitation systems
• Automation of biogas control systems
• Humane electronic animal incapacitation

• Electrical supply and control systems

Mr Gordon Hampson
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Electricity supply systems

• Electrical technology

• Energy conversion

• Electrical control systems

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer
  engineering
• Agricultural and
  environmental
  engineering
  

Assoc Prof Nigel Hancock
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture
(NCEA) 

• Evaporation science and measurement
• Measurement and control applications in agriculture
• Measurement science and technology

• Electronics and computer engineering

Mr Glenn Harris

• Computer engineering
• Electronic workshop & production
• Electrical & Electronic Practice A & B
• Electronic systems
• Electronic measurement

• Electrical and power engineering

Dr Fouad Kamel
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA) Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Renewable energy technologies
• Photovoltaic power systems
• Solar water heating
• Wind energy systems
• Sea-waves electric energy generation
• Interconnection of renewable energy generation systems to utility grids
• Smart grid for electricity supply and distribution

• Telecommunication
  and computer networking
• Engineering education

Dr Alexander Kist Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC) Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Green information and communication technology (ICT)
• Performance modelling and network optimisation
• Teletraffic Engineering
• Network planning and design
• Engineering education

• Signal processing

Assoc Prof John Leis
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC)

• Speech/video signal processing
• Biomedical signal processing & biomedical engineering systems
• Signal processing algorithms for tomography
• Internet protocol engineering

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering
• Mechatronic engineering

Dr Andrew Maxwell
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Measurement science and engineering
• Acidity measurement in dairy processes
• Remote sensing and distributed sensor networks
• Radio frequency and microwave systems
• GNSS applications

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering

Mr Mark Norman Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Networking protocols, web traffic efficiencies, remote access
• Sustainable energy design, compact power supply development
• Electronic engineering education (distance experience)

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering

Mr Mark Phythian
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Engineering education

• Speech signal processing

• Microcontroller applications

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering

Dr Ron Sharma    
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Utility - connected photovoltaic generation
• Power systems for telephone and radio networks including solar, wind and diesel hybrid systems
• Demand side energy management

• Control, real-time system
• Biomedical engineering
• Bio-informatics

Assoc Prof Peng (Paul) Wen
Centre for Systems Biology (CSBi)

• Networked real-time control system
• Biomedical and health engineering
• Human head modeling and EEG

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering

Dr Wei Xiang
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC)

• Error-resilient and energy-efficient wireless image/video communications
• Network coding
• Rateless coding
• Cooperative communications
• Cross-layer design

• Electrical, electronic
  and computer engineering

Dr Hong Zhou
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC) Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Wireless sensor networks and applications
• Computer networking
• Quality of services of multimedia applications
• Queuing theory

Engineering Studies

• Engineering education

Assoc Prof Lyn Brodie
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Problem Based Learning
• Distance education and flexible delivery in engineering education
• Women in Engineering and non-traditional career areas
• Progression and retention

• Engineering education
• VET engineering
  education
• Graduate
  attributes/outcomes

Prof David Dowling
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Engineering education: graduate attributes; curriculum design, workplace learning: assessment of workplace learning.
• Transition to university: factors that influence student success; transition from school; transition from work.
• Pathways to university: articulation from VET and other providers.  

• Engineering education
• Biomechanics

Mr Chris Snook
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Biomechanics

• Solid mechanics

• Computational mechanics

• Engineering design

• Engineering education

• Civil and environmental engineering

Assoc Prof John Worden
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Geochemistry of groundwater resources
• Pollution plumes in groundwater
• Slope stability issues relating to landslides, foundations, etc.
• Isotope and trace element geochemistry
• Geochronology
• Radiometrics
• Environmental management decision-making and compliance by petroleum companies
• Problem-based learning as applied to engineering education
• Assessment and intractivity in learning

Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering

• Mechatronic engineering

Prof John Billingsley
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA)

• Robotics
• Machine vision
• Automation
• Control theory
• Simulation

• Thermofluids

Prof David Buttsworth
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC) Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Hypersonic flow

• Thermal energy system

• Mechanical and
  mechatronics

Dr Jayantha Epaarachchi
Centre of Excellence in
Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Design and static/dynamic analysis of fibre composite structures
• Fatigue, fracture and damage mechanics of composite materials
• Experimental stress analysis and dynamic analysis of structures
• Structural health monitoring (including the use of FBG sensors and MEM sensors)
• Development of new composite materials
• Fatigue testing of composite structures

• Engineering education

Mr Robert Fulcher
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Engineering management
• Engineering education
• Technology management
• Energy management especially with respect to electricity production

• Manufacturing and
  materials engineering
• Engineering leadership
  and management

Mr Steven Goh 
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Engineering education
• Engineering leadership and management
• Innovation management/ technology transfer
• Manufacturing and materials  science
• Sustainability in energy and infrastructure
• Small manufacturing enterprises

• Composite materials

Dr Mainul Islam
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Behaviour of fibre composite sandwich panels
• Effects of temperature on FRP components
• Fibre composite piles for replacement or rehabilitation
• Syntactic foams and foam-core sandwich composites

• Aerospace engineering

Dr Michael Jokic
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC)
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

•  Risk hazard analysis for high speed vehicles
• Hypersonic flight and atmospheric re-entry
• Technology for teaching
• Course re-vitalisation

• Manufacturing, materials

Dr Harry Ku
Centre of Excellence in Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Manufacturing engineering
• Microwave processing of materials
• Engineering education
• Manufacturing processes
• Composite materials

• Mechatronics and robotics

Dr Tobias Low 
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA)
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Computer vision
• Image processing
• Mobile robotics
• Obstacle avoidance
• Navigation
• Artificial intelligence

• Computational mechanics

Assoc Prof Nam Mai-Duy
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC) 

• Computational rheology and mechanics
• Boundary-integral-equation methods
• Meshless RBFN-based methods
• Spectral methods
• Particulate fluids and solids
• Multiscale calculations  

• Computational fluid
• Heat transfer

Dr Ruth Mossad
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Use of CFD in the following applications: ventilation, renewable energy, erosion and other environmental applications like desalination and evaporation
• Fluid mechanics
• Heat transfer

• Mechatronic

Dr Selvan Pather
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

•  Application of mechatronic technology in health care

• Medical robotics

• Industrial robotics

• Mechanical engineering design

• Engineering education

• Mechanical engineering        

Mr Peter Penfold

• Mechanical Practice 1 & 3
• Machine dynamics
• Solid modelling
• Introduction to engineering design

• Mechanical and
  mechatronic engineering

Dr Ahmad Sharifian
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC) 
Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Fluid Mechanics
• Rheology
• Thermofluids

• Computational mechanics and nanotechnology

Dr Canh-Dung Tran Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC)

• Mesoscopic approaches and stochastic simulation techniques
• CNTs and nanotechnology
• Fibrous materials, non-woven fabrics and textile composites

• Mechanical and
  mechatronic engineering

Prof Thanh Tran-Cong
Computational Engineering and Science Research Centre (CESRC) 

• Computational fluid and solid mechanics
• Numerical methods
• Computational engineering

• Turbulent combustion
  modelling

Dr Andrew Wandel
Computational engineering and science research centre (CESRC)
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Turbulent combustion modeling
• Multiple Mapping Conditioning (MMC) method
• Droplet/spray combustion
• Engineering education

• Manufacturing and
  materials engineering

Dr Hao Wang
Centre of Excellence in
Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)
 

• Natural fibre composites
• Natural polymer from vegetable oils
• Geopolymer and concrete
• Light alloys (Al and Mg)

• Materials

Dr Belal Yousif
Centre of Excellence in
Engineered Fibre Composites (CEEFC)

• Tribology

• Machine Design

• Polymeric Composites

• Bio-materials

• Renewable Energy Systems

• Thermofluids

Dr Talal Yusaf
National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA) Sustainable Energy Innovation Group (SEIG)

• Renewable energy and alternative fuels
• Micro-organism treatment using unconventional techniques
• Combustion technology I
  

Surveying and Spatial Science

• Remote sensing
• GIS

Assoc Prof Armando Apan
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Remote sensing and GIS to observe terrestrial ecosystems and their responses to environmental/ climate change
• Mapping and monitoring of crops, forest vegetation, floods and land cover using hyperspectral and multispectral imagery
• Spatial analysis and modeling for resource and environment management

• Agriculture

Dr Badri Basnet
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Precision agriculture
• Engineering education research

• Urban design and development

Ms Marita Basson Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• Town planning legislation 
• Community participation
• Technology & quality of Engineering education

• Water

Dr Glenn Campbell
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Remote sensing of water quality
• Land administration

• Close-range photogrammetry
  (sport, medical,
  industrial, forensic,
  under-water)

Dr Albert Chong
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Digital photogrammetry (digital cameras, HD camcorders, ERDAS LPS, Australis, iWitness)
• GISs (historical artefact/craniofacial database)
• Traffic accident (iWitness, Australis).
• Imaging sensor calibration (Australis)
• Other types of imaging: biosignal study; muscle movement, sport injury study, X-Ray, CT and MRI scans
• Laser scanning

• GPS
• Engineering education

Dr Peter Gibbings
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)
Engineering Education Research Group (EERG)

• GPS
• GNSS
• VRS
• Engineering and Surveying education

• GIS
• Remote sensing
• Surveying

Dr Xiaoye Liu
Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• GIS and remote sensing
• Digital terrain modelling and feature extraction from LiDAR and other spatial data
• Surveying and Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
• Spatial database and programming

• SDI

• Surveying

Assoc Prof Kevin McDougall
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Geographical information systems
• Spatial data infrastructures
• Land administration

• SDI

• Surveying

Mr Dev Raj Paudyal
Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)
• Cadastre and land administration
• Application of SDI for catchment
• Management/ NRM
• Spatial Information Management

• Remote sensing

• GIS

• Mapping

Dr Kithsiri Perera
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments (ACSC)

• Remote sensing and image processing
• Land cover and land use mapping using satellite images
• Catchment area mapping
• Standardizing land cover classification systems
• GIS and GIS applications
• Visualising geographical data

• Engineering
• Surveying Education

Mr Shane Simmons

• Professional issues
• Surveying education
• Land development
• Land law and administration

• Surveying 

• GIS

• Remote sensing

Mr Zhenyu Zhang
Australian Centre for
Sustainable Catchments
(ACSC)

• Application of LiDAR and remotely sensed images for land use/land cover change monitoring and forest management
• GPS, spatial database and programming