Presented by the SA & NT Division
This seminar is to commemorate the life and work of Prof Mike Miller AO FTSE who passed away in November 2021. Mike was a major leader in the field of communications research over many years. He was Foundation Director of the Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR) at the University of South Australia and made significant advances in communications research as well as educating many leaders in industry and academia in this field. Mike also made major contributions to ATSE having been Vice President, a Director, Chair of the South Australian Division and Chair of the Digital Futures Forum.
The seminar will recognise Mike’s many contributions to the field of communications research and practice as well as his contribution to ATSE. Mike’s research focused on satellite and terrestrial wireless communications. He was Chair of the wireless company M.Net which built the first wireless city-area network in Adelaide. A number of important start up companies developed under his influence including Cohda Wireless (vehicle-to-vehicle communications) and Myriota (low power micro transmitters communicating with low-earth-orbiting satellites). In addition, the seminar will highlight the latest developments in the field of communications and how they have built on Mike’s pioneering work.
The seminar will be a hybrid event held on Monday 27 June at Pavilion on the Park, South Terrace, Adelaide. Drinks will be served from 4.00pm ACST and the seminar will run from 4.30 – 6.00pm ACST.
SPEAKERS
Dr Alan Finkel AC FAA FTSE
Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technology, Former President of ATSE
Dr Alan Finkel AC FAA FTSE is a neuroscientist, engineer and entrepreneur. He was Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2016 to 2020, during which time he led the National Electricity Market Review, the development of the National Hydrogen Strategy, and the panel that advised the Australian Government on the 2020 Low Emissions Technology Roadmap. He is currently Chair of Stile Education, Chair of the Australian Government’s Technology Investment Advisory Council, Special Adviser to the Australian Government on Low Emissions Technologies and Chair of the International Expert Panel for the Australian Government-hosted Sydney Energy Forum to be held in July 2022.
Dr Sylvie Perreau
Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG)
Dr Sylvie Perreau grew up and studied in France until she graduated from Telecom ParisTech with a PhD in Telecommunications Signal Processing in 1998. She worked in Industry (Alcatel) during her PhD studies and academia (University of Connecticut and UNISA) for 13 years. She established an international reputation in the areas of Wireless Sensor Networks with over 80 publications and 1,700 citations. She joined DSTO (now DSTG) in 2011 where she worked predominantly in the Intelligence Domain before leading the Contested Communications Branch. She has recently been appointed as the designate Chief of the newly formed Sensors and Effectors Division at DSTG. Sylvie was awarded an Exceptional Achievement Award from the Australian Signal Directorate (ASD) in 2018 and the 2020 Minister’s Award for Achievement in Defence Science for her work in signal processing and wireless networks within highly classified environments across Australia and the globe. Sylvie has two sons aged 21 and 16 and enjoys spending time with her family as well as painting and playing the classical guitar.
Professor Mark Rice
DSTG, Adjunct Associate Research Professor, UniSA STEM, and University of South Australia
Professor Mark Rice is a adjunct Research Professor with UniSA’s Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academic unit.
Mark’s substantive position is with the Defence Science and Technology Group, leading an innovation project with Australian industry to develop next generation tactical radios.
Mark also leads a project with the SmartSat Collaborative Research Centre at Lot 14 with partners NASA for satellite based emergency communications to provide better solutions during catastrophic disasters like floods and bush fires. This is being adapted for future human exploration missions on the Moon and Mars. Mark is Director and Founder of Safety from Space.
Mark joined Professor Miller’s research team in 1989 after completing his PhD at Manchester University in the UK. Mark co-founded DSpace in the mid-1990s, a spin-off from Mike’s research group, where he was CTO until sale of the company to Honeywell in 2012.
Dr Craig Mudge AO FTSE
Member Digital Futures Forum ATSE
Dr Craig Mudge AO FTSE is an ANU graduate in mathematics and statistics with a PhD in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has held faculty positions at Caltech, Carnegie Mellon University, Macquarie University, and Flinders University.
In the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, Mudge is part of the leadership team of the Digital Futures Forum. He has been a computer designer in the US computer industry with DEC/HP and IBM, a Chief Research Scientist in CSIRO, founder of Austek Microsystems which produced complex logic chips for the Australia Telescope, Cochlear, Defence, and the US PC industry. His current interests are applications of AI/machine learning and onshoring manufacturing for improved sovereign capability.