USQ professor acknowledged for lifetime of achievement

A University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Professor, John Billingsley, has been recognised for a lifetime of accomplishment in engineering after receiving an Achievement Award from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

IET is an international professional engineering society with more than 150,000 members in 37 countries around the world.

Professor Billingsley was recognised for his outstanding contribution in Robotics and Mechatronics, two fields of Engineering that he has been involved in for over 40 years.

The honour, which is only awarded to only twelve individuals each year, is one of the most prestigious the industry offers.

"These Achievement Awards are given out all around the world and only a certain number are awarded annually," Prof Billingsley said.

"I am very pleased to have been recognised for all the work that I have done over the past four decades."

Professor Billingsley began his career as an Engineer in 1960 after graduating from
Cambridge University. He has been lecturing in Robotics and Mechatronics since 1967.

"After I graduated I worked in the aircraft industry for four years after which I returned to university to complete my PhD and then three years later I began lecturing at Cambridge.

"From there I went to Portsmouth University in 1976, then to Australia and USQ in 1992, where I have been lecturing ever since."

Listed amongst his greatest achievements is his popularisation of Mechatronics through development of the Micromouse Contest, his work on several television series in England and the numerous books that he has written encouraging the younger generation to get involved in Robotics.

Despite his heavy involvement in the industry Prof Billingsley has no plans to slow down.

"Slow down, what's that?" he joked.

"I still have a lot more work to do in collaboration with industry and also with the National Centre for Engineering In Agriculture (NCEA)."

Professor Billingsley is hoping to travel to the IET in London with his wife in February to accept his Achievement Award.

Media Contact: Josh Ada, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 1628 or 0403 643 192