ATSE New Fellows Showcase 2023

Thursday 26 October   |   8:00am-4:00pm

National Portrait Gallery, Terrace Room

Join us as we welcome our 2023 Fellows elected by the Fellowship on the basis of excellence, accomplishment, and fit with a modern and future-facing Academy – ensuring they contribute to the Academy’s mission of helping Australians understand and use applied science, technology and engineering to solve complex problems. The theme for this year’s showcase is Breaking barriers: Realising Australia’s technological advantage.

P R O G R A M

8:00am ——— REGISTRATION

Tea and coffee will be offered.

9:00am ——— WELCOME TO COUNTRY & INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Country: Dr Aunty Caroline Hughes AM
Master of Ceremonies: Kylie Walker, CEO, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering
Welcome remarks: Dr Katherine Woodthorpe AO FTSE FAICD, President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering

9:30am ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 1

Decarbonise everything: Ratcheting up the net zero transition in the hardest to abate sectors.

Dive into the most challenging realms of the net zero transition. Experts will lay out innovative strategies to tackle the most stubborn sectors contributing to carbon emissions. This discussion will focus on solutions that drive decarbonisation in industries where it’s hardest to achieve, paving the way for a more sustainable future.

Moderator:  Tony Wood AM FTSE, Energy and Climate Change Program Director, Grattan Institute

Daniel Westerman FTSE Energy transition expert
Distinguished Professor Vivian Tam FTSE Green construction innovator
Professor Graham Nathan FTSE Decarbonisation developer
Dr Glenn Platt FTSE Renewable energy changemaker
Professor Zaiping Guo FTSE FAA Cutting edge battery inventor

10:15am ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 2

Building resilience in times of crisis: How Australia can adapt and thrive in the face of challenges.

Explore the strategies that position Australia to not only withstand but thrive amidst challenges. Experts will dissect and discuss how the nation can navigate through skills shortages, financial crises, and the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Moderator:  Louise Adams FTSE, Chief Operating Officer, Aurecon

Dr Therese Flapper FTSE Water sustainability superpower
Jane MacMaster FTSE National engineering influencer
Adjunct Professor Daniel Lambert FTSE World water engineer
Dr Susannah Eliott FTSE Science communicator and evidence advocate
Professor Brian Schmidt AC FTSE FAA FRS Stem research and education advocate

11:00am ——— MORNING TEA

11:30am ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 3

Manufacturing for the 21st century: How Australian manufacturing is evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

Uncover the evolution of Australian manufacturing as it adapts to a fast-paced global environment. This panel delves into the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic investments, showing how these dynamics drive innovation, foster sustainability, and secure the nation’s place in the global manufacturing arena.

Moderator: Professor Bronwyn Fox FTSE, Chief Scientist, CSIRO

Professor Baohua Jia FTSE Photonics game-changer
Professor Stephen Foster FTSE Structural engineering specialist
Professor Yun Liu FTSE Advanced materials chemist
Professor Chamindie Punyadeera FTSE Biomedical innovator
Professor Tuan Ngo FTSE Sustainable building specialist

12:15pm ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 4

Sustainable innovation: How industries can use green technologies to drive innovation and create positive environmental and social impact.

Unlock the potential of green technologies in propelling industries toward innovation with a positive impact. Explore the ways in which sustainability and innovation coalesce, as experts reveal how environmentally conscious practices can yield groundbreaking advancements that benefit both society and the planet.

Moderator: Professor Ken Baldwin FTSE, inaugural Director of the ANU Energy Change Institute and founding Director of the ANU Grand Challenge: Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Professor Susanne Hermesch FTSE Livestock genetics expert
Professor Bronwyn Gillanders FTSE Oceans advocate
Professor Anna Giacomini FTSE Rockfall mechanics maestro
Professor Christopher Matthews FTSE Indigenous education champion
Dr Alistair Hobday FTSE Marine sustainability steward

1:00pm ——— LUNCH

2:00pm ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 5

Advanced technology for a better world .

Explore cutting-edge technology. This panel showcases how breakthroughs can reshape industries, enhance food security, and elevate the overall quality of life, bringing us closer to a technologically advanced and sustainable future.  

Moderator: Professor Salah Sukkarieh FTSE 

Dr Sangeeta Bhatia FTSE Tissue technologist and entrepreneur
Professor Guillaume Lessene FTSE Cancer therapy designer
Lara Olsen FTSE Sustainable technology leader
Professor David Taubman FTSE Digital media expert
Professor Anna Moore FTSE Astronomer, inventor and pioneer

2:45pm ——— AFTERNOON TEA

3:15pm ——— NEW FELLOWS DISCUSSION PANEL 6

The Future is now: How emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing are reshaping industries and changing the way we live and work.

Discover how the convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum computing is sparking a technological revolution. Industry leaders will illuminate how these advancements are reshaping various sectors, from healthcare to finance, and highlight their potential to redefine our world.

Moderator: Distinguished Professor Genevieve Bell AO FTSE FAHA, Director of School of Cybernetics, Australian National University

Professor David Grayden FTSE Brain decoder and entrepreneurial mentor
Professor Joanna Batsone FTSE Responsible AI champion
Dr Penny Stewart FTSE Industrial data science entrepreneur
Sally-Ann Williams FTSE Innovation leader
Professor Yue Gao FTSE Space and defence laser innovator

4:00pm ——— CLOSING REMARKS

PANEL RECORDINGS

All the new Fellows discussion panels will be recorded and made available here on this page.

Fellows discussion panel from 2022

Video of one the the New Fellows discussion panels from 2022

Using technology to mitigate climate change

Panel moderator from our 2022 event — Dr Alex Wonhas FTSE
Climate change is one of the biggest societal, economic, political, and technological challenges of the 21st century. At its core, it has been caused by technology but technology now also offers many solutions. We must act now to resolve this difficult, important and urgent issue.

Dr Beth Ebert FTSE, Senior Principal Research Scientist and Head of Forecast Quality Research at the Bureau of Meteorology
Professor Xiaojing Hao FTSE from the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW
Professor Kylie Catchpole FTSE, Research leader and educator in the School of Engineering at the Australian National University
Professor Mark Howden FTSE, Director of the Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions at the ANU

New ATSE Fellows 2022

Above: 2022 ATSE Fellows

Back row: Huijun Zhao FTSE FAA, Katrina Falkner FTSE, Richard White  FTSE, Xiaojing Hao FTSE, Beth Ebert FTSE, Dietmar W. Hutmacher FTSE FAHMS, Merryn York FTSE, Michael Breadmore FTSE, Kylie Catchpole  FTSE, Nicholas Austin FTSE, Madhu Bhaskaran FTSE, Mark Howden FTSE, Nasser Khalili FTSE, Jack Steele FTSE, Brian Uy FTSE, Thas Nirmalathas FTSE.

Front row: Ann Nicholson FTSE, Mary Foley AM FTSE, Michael Milford FTSE, Janine Herzig FTSE, Honorary Fellow Kim Carr FTSE, Kirsten Rose FTSE, Wei Zhang FTSE, Beth Fulton FTSE FAA.

Absent: Michelle Colgrave FTSE, Maria Forsyth FTSE FAA, Foreign Fellow Rajendra Paroda FTSE

Read about each fellow on the ATSE New Fellows 2022 page.