Achievements within the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Staff, students and graduates of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering are held in high regard, so it's no surprise their achievements are regularly recognised by peers, industry and excellence bodies worldwide. The items below demonstrate the sorts of opportunities available to those with a qualification from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Adelaide.
Engineering Student Wins multiple awards 
Electrical and Electronic Engineering postgraduate Hungyen Lin has been recognised for a number of outstanding academic achievements.
In July, 2009, he won a research abroad scholarship. The scholarship is being used to visit The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology for THz photoconductive antenna fabrication.In September 2009, Hungyen won a IEEE South Australia Section Student Travel Assistance Fund to present his work on thin crystal THz emission in Busan, Korea.
In December 2009, Hungyen was the reserved candidate for the prestigious 2010 Fulbright Postgraduate Awards in three categories. The Australian-American Fulbright Commission promotes and supports educational and cultural exchange between Australia and America.
Hungyen is actively pursuing a PhD under Prof. Derek Abbott and Dr. Bernd Fischer on THz near-field imaging.
Engineering Student Wins ABC Scholarship
27 February, 2009: Electrical and Electronic Engineering student Daisy Correa has won one of this year's Women in Engineering Scholarships from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
"These scholarships are part of the national broadcaster's commitment to inspiring and promoting the education, training and advancement of engineering among young women in the broadcast industry," says ABC State Director South Australia Sandra Winter-Dewhirst.
Ms Winter-Dewhirst and Coordinator of Information Technology South Australia Anthony Pleic presented the Scholarship to Daisy at ABC's Collinswood centre.
"The Scholarships are awarded nationally each year to women undertaking studies in electrical Engineering and who have an interest in broadcasting, telecommunications or information technology," Ms Winter-Dewhirst says.
"Successful applicants receive a cash prize of $1500 and valuable industry experience in the exciting and challenging technology area of the ABC.
"Outstanding tertiary qualifications and enthusiasm for the broadcasting industry have made Daisy a perfect candidate for the scholarship this year."
Daisy Correa is currently in the fourth year of a double degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Finance at the University of Adelaide. She is expecting to graduate at the end of 2009.
Daisy has many academic achievements with a number of awards including the Dean's Merit Certificate for Outstanding Academic Achievement, and she was invited to join the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Daisy is also involved in the wider university community. She is currently a Peer Mentor for the International Student Centre's Orientation program and is on the Electrical and Electronic Student Staff Committee.
Fan Lee Mun wins essay competition
January, 2009: Fan Lee Mun, a Malaysian undergraduate student in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, has won a trip back home and a four-week internship with GHD Perunding Sdn Bhd.
Fan wrote an essay entitled,"The Student's Role in Building Bilateral Relationships between Australia and Malaysia." based on her experiences in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and her efforts were recognised with first place in the competition
See the full article in the New Straits Times
Yik Ling Lim wins postgraduate travelling fellowship
6 January, 2009: Yik Ling Lim, a postgraduate research student in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has been awarded a D R Stranks Postgraduate Travelling Fellowship to perform experimental work at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom and to attend the 2009 International Radar Conference in Bordeaux, France.
Yik Ling Lim is conducting research into Passive Radar under the supervision of A/Prof Chris Coleman and Dr Tamath Rainsford.
Shaghik Atakaramians wins overseas travel fellowship
12 December, 2008: Ms Shaghik Atakaramians, a postgraduate research student in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was awarded the ARCNN Overseas Travel Fellowships to visit Institut fur Halbleitertechnik at RWTH Aachen University in Germany.
Ms Atakaramians is conducting research into THz waveguides with sub-wavelength features and their application for bio/chemo-sensing under the supervision of Prof Derek Abbott, Prof Tanya M. Monro, Dr Shahraam Afshar V., and Dr Bernd M. Fischer.
Don Dissanayake Wins Research Presentation Award
15 December, 2008: Mr. Don Dissanayake, a postgraduate research student in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, was awarded the best student presentation award for his presentation on "Corrugated Micro-Diaphragm Analysis for Low-Powered and Wireless Bio-MEMS", at the 3rd International Conference on Sensing Technology, ICST 2008, which was held in Tainan, Taiwan from 30th November to 3rd December 2008.
Mr Dissanayake is conducting research into Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Biomedical Engineering under the supervisorship of Dr. Said Al-Sarawi (EEE), Prof. Derek Abbott (EEE) and Dr Tien-Fu Lu (Mechanical Engineering).
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Martin Strange Wins Ph.D Design Award
27 October, 2008: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Ph.D. student Martin Strange has won a Reed Business Information (RBI) award in Sydney. RBI is Australia's leading and largest B2B publisher and information provider.
Martin won the award for his Ph.D. work on creating the concept of the Mesh.
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Qantas signs agreement for engineering alliance
12 August, 2008: The University of Adelaide and Qantas Airways have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that aims to provide benefits to both organisations through collaboration on engineering teaching and research.
The many potential benefits of the agreement include:
- the opportunity for Qantas to provide industry-specific curriculum advice to the University's Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences;
- guest lectures from Qantas, providing students in the University's engineering programs direct exposure
to state-of-the-art aviation industry practice; and - the undertaking of joint research projects.
"Our agreement with Qantas means that the University of Adelaide is engaging with one of the world's most successful airlines, to the mutual advantage of our students, staff, and the company," says the Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha.
"This alliance will further strengthen our degree programs in Avionics & Electronic Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering and other related degrees. It will provide even greater opportunities for students to receive a quality industry-relevant education in their chosen areas of study, as well as strengthening the industry relevance of our research programs.
"We are extremely pleased to have the support of Qantas through this collaborative arrangement, and we look forward to working with them," Professor McWha says.
"As part of our commitment to the industry, Qantas Engineering is launching a range of initiatives with tertiary institutions to ensure we maximise the professional capabilities of both groups. The University of Adelaide is a key institution to ensure the success of this program," says Qantas Engineering Group General Manager Technical Services David Kelly.
"By establishing a closer working relationship with the University of Adelaide, we will be able to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes," Mr Kelly says.
"This agreement is an outstanding example of universities and industry working together to identify and achieve common goals," says Professor Peter Dowd, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences.
"The level of industry involvement in the teaching and research programs in our Faculty is at an all-time high. This means we are able to conduct research that has a genuine impact on industry; and, we can educate young engineers who understand today's industry requirements, but who are also prepared for the challenges of tomorrow."
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Dr Tamath Rainsford wins 2008 Tall Poppy Award
21 August, 2008: The School congratulates Dr Tamath Rainsford on winning a SA 2008 Young Tall Poppy Award for her research work on electromagnetics and biomedical engineering. The awards were announced on August 21 by SA Science Minister Paul Caica.
"These young scientists are not only contributing to our State's innovation and well-being, but they are also fantastic role models for the next generation of scientists.", Mr Caica said. "We need to inspire more young South Australians to study science and maths at school and to seriously consider the wonderful range of options in science for their future careers. The Young Tall Poppies are a success story that others can aspire to become."
Another winner of a 2008 award is PhD graduate and now Adjunct Lecturer in the School, Dr Mark McDonnell.
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Mr Withawat Withayachumnankul wins IEEE Fellowship
July, 2008: Mr Withawat Withayachumnankul, a postgraduate student of Prof. Derek Abbott in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, was awarded the IEEE LEOS Graduate Student Fellowship for 2008.
The IEEE is the world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology. We congratulate Mr Withayachumnankul on this achievement from such a prestigious and well-respected organisation.
Dr Tamath Rainsford wins multiple teaching awards
July, 2008: We congratulate School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering lecturer Dr Tamath Rainsford who was awarded the following teaching awards for the 2007 academic year:
- The University of Adelaide Stephen Cole the Elder Award for Excellence in Teaching
- ECMS Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching
- ECMS Executive Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Stephen Cole the Elder Award is a University-wide award presented to educators who represent some of the most talented and dedicated individuals working at the University. In 2007 the Teaching award was presented to just three academic staff throughout the whole University, one of which was Dr Rainsford. The ECMS Faculty Prize and Executive Dean's Awards are teaching recognitions awarded at Faculty level, where Dr Rainsford was again recognised amongst her peers for her efforts.
These awards recognise the outstanding effort Dr Rainsford has made to ensure her students are constantly encouraged, challenged and rewarded as their studies in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering pave the way for their future career. They also recognise the ongoing committment of the School to recruit only the best teaching and research staff to ensure our students receive the most up-to-date information, presented in the most engaging manner, by experts who are passionate about their field.
Dr Rainsford currently lectures classes in Electronics II (pdf 29kB) and Engineering Electromagnetics (pdf 30kB) in the School.
Smart Sensors, Smart Packages
31 May 2008: A research collaboration between the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Collotype Labels Pty Ltd has been awarded $300,000 to develop a new generation of product packages. Electronic sensors and control circuits embedded within these smart packages will make it easier to identify package contents, protect them during shipping and storage, and market them to consumers.
The project is led by Dr Said Al-Sarawi and Dr Braden Phillips of the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and is supported by the South Australian Government through the Premier’s Science and Research Council.
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