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Dr Dia Adhikari Smith is the Tritium E-Mobility Research Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation (School of Chemical Engineering) and the Transport Engineering Group (School of Civil Engineering). Her current research focusses on advancing the performance, economics, and uptake of E-Mobility globally, with a particular focus on the decarbonisation of both on-road and non-road heavy vehicles used in transport, construction, and mining sectors in Australia. Dia’s research expertise in low and zero emission heavy vehicles, powered by electric, hydrogen and advanced biofuels, has been demonstrated through several industry and government engagements to deliver decarbonisation feasibility studies, emissions modelling, cost benefit analyses, total cost of ownership scenarios and developing strategic roadmaps and recommended policy packages to achieve net zero emissions. Dia has a PhD in Power and Energy Systems Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University, UK and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply, Cardiff University, UK and as a Lecturer at the Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, USA.

Dia's postdoctoral research experience, at Cardiff University, involved in-depth research to investigate Smart Grid network assessment and planning methodologies that would consider type, extent, and pathway of various smart, innovative, and sustainable technology interventions (renewable energy sources, distributed generation, battery storage, electric vehicles, and hydrogen). Dia has worked on different quantitative and qualitative research methods to analyse the factors affecting the diffusion of low and zero emission technologies in the UK and conducted feasibility studies to evaluate the inhibiting factors for Smart Grid transition within the building industry (smart sustainable houses) and the mining sector (electric heavy vehicles, renewable energy sources, and energy storage) in the perspective of users, energy experts, energy providers, respective industries, policymakers, regulators, and the government. Dia's research projects involved close collaboration with Academia, Government and Industry to propose strategic guidelines, evaluate policies, and publish joint work-stream reports, for the successful diffusion of zero-emission technologies and renewable energy systems.

Feifei Bai is a Senior Lecturer with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is also an adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University. She was awarded the Advance Queensland Fellow in 2018. Her research contributions can be recognised by a strong publication record, delivered over $2.7 million research projects, patent commercialisation, and research outcome implementation by the industry. She serves as a guest associate editor for the special issue “Flexible and Resilient Urban Energy Systems” of the International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems in 2021. She is an associate editor for the journal of IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution and an assistant editor for the International Journal of Green Energy. She also actively collaborates with Australian industries including Energy Queensland, NOJA Power, Powerlink, AEMO, and EPEC Group. One ARENA project in which she was a key researcher received an Australian Engineering Excellence Award in 2020.

Dr Archie Chapman is an Associate Professor in Computer Science in the School of IT and Electrical Engineering.

Archie develops and applies principled artificial intelligence, game theory, optimisation and machine learning methods to solve large-scale and dynamic allocation, scheduling and queuing problems. His recent research has focused on applications of these techniques to problems in future power systems, such as integrating large amounts of renewable power generation and using batteries and flexible loads to provide power network and system services, while making best use of legacy network and generation infrastructure.

Prior to joining UQ, Archie was Research Fellow in Smart Grids at the University of Sydney (2011-2019), and a postdoc fellow at the University of Southampton (2009-2010), where he completed his PhD.

Yi Cui received his B. Eng. and M.Eng. degrees from Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China, in 2009 and 2012, respectively, and received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering at University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, in 2016.

Dr Cui has been a Research Associate in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA since 2016. Currently, he is an Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Queensland, Australia. His research interests include wide-area monitoring and control, data analytics and cyber-security of smart grids, condition assessment and fault diagnosis of power transformers.

Biography

I am a Senior Lecturer at the School of EECS of the University of Queensland (UQ). Before joining UQ, I was at SUTD as a Research Scientist at SUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC) from March 2015 to July 2017, and as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow of the Engineering Product Development Pillar from September 2013 to February 2015. My previous employment also includes Visiting Research at NICTA, Australia (January 2013 - June 2013), Visiting Student Research Collaborator at Princeton University, USA (Summer 2011), and Lecturer at Presidency University, Dhaka (June 2007 - March 2009).

I received my B.Sc. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 2007, and my Ph.D. degree in Engineering from the Australian National University (ANU) in 2013.

Research

Wayes's research focuses on different aspects of energy management for the smart grid. Examples include peer-to-peer energy trading, storage management, home energy management, electric vehicles, and transactive energy. He is also interested in the application of game theory, auction theory, data science, and design thinking for energy management.

Research Grants and Management

1. AQRF11016-17RD2: Peer-to-peer energy trading schemes for sustainable cities, Advance Queensland (2017-2020), CI.
2. IDG31700103: Consumer-centric energy management for buildings: Design innovation technique for sustainability, SUTD-MIT International Design Centre Pilot (2017-2019), Co-CI.
3. NRF2015ENC-GBICRD001-028: Green building management system - An open IoT platform approach, Singapore National Research Foundation (2016-2019), Co-CI.
4. IDG31500106: A pilot project for developing a smart energy management system prototype, SUTD-MIT International Design Centre Pilot (2015-2017), CI.
5. IDG21500111: Building a toolset for energy audit systems, SUTD-MIT International Design Centre Pilot (2016-2016), CI.
6. IDSF1200115OH: A general grant for IDC leveraged pilot project, SUTD-MIT International Design Centre Pilot (2015-2016), CI.
7. NRF2012EWT-EIRP002-045: Demand-focused smart energy management in end-user environments for sustainable cities, Singapore National Research Foundation (2013-2016), Co-CI.

The details of my research activities can also be found on my personal homepage.

Dr Ruifeng Yan (FIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus), RPEQ) received the B. Eng. (Hons.) degree in Automation from University of Science and Technology, Beijing, China, in 2004, the M. Eng degree in Electrical Engineering from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, in 2007 and PhD in Power and Energy Systems from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2012. He was an ARC DECRA Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the University of Queensland. His expertise includes renewable energy integration to power grids, big data mining in power systems, and network strength and stability analysis. He collaborates with power industries on a range of projects, including AEMO, Powerlink Queensland, Energy Queensland, EPEC Group, Siemens, Iberdorla Australia, Noja Power and Transgrid. He has published over 90 journal and conference papers, which have been cited by a number of top power utilities, national labs and academic institutes. He is currently served as an Associate Editor of the renowned IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, and an international Q1 journal – CSEE JPES. He also serves as a committee member in Engineers Australia Queensland Electrical Branch and CIGRE C4 Panel.

Prof Firuz Zare is the Head of School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics and the University Chair of Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research and STEMM Committee at Queensland University of Technology and an Honorary Professor at UQ. He was a discipline leader of Power, Energy and Control Engineering at the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. He is also a Fellow of IEEE - the world’s largest association of technical professionals.

He has spent over 20 years in three main organisations - academia, industry and international standardisation committees as a leader, project manager and senior specialist. Prof Zare has team-building, management and leadership experience in emerging and multidisciplinary research and teaching activities, cross-institutional research and technology projects and national and international standardisation committees.

Prof Zare has been collaborating with several international research centres and industry in Australia, Europe, the USA and Japan in the fields of Energy Conversion Systems and Nanosecond Pulsed Power Technology. His core research areas are:

1) Advanced Power Converter Topology and Control in Grid Connected Renewable Energy, Motor Drives and Energy Storage Systems

2) Electromagnetic Interferences and Harmonics in Power Systems

3) Addressing Standardisation and Emerging Issues of Future Grids

4) Pulsed Power Systems for Bioelectrics and Industrial Applications

He has successfully initiated and established emerging cross and multidisciplinary research activities and groups in Nanosecond Pulsed Power fields since 2007. More specifically, he has published, supervised researchers, secured ARC, NHMRC and industry funds and collaborated with other disciplines in the following areas:

• Pulsed Power Technology and Modelling (Electrical Engineering)
• NOx, PM, Ozon applications (Chemical and Mechanical Engineering)
• Water and wastewater decontamination and pollutant control (Environmental Engineering)
• Milk pasteurisation and food processing (Biology, Food and Agriculture)
• Dewatering system and coal seam gas applications (Mining and Civil Engineering)
• Tissue and cell applications and modellings (Biomedical Engineering)
• Biofuel such as Algae and oil extraction (Biotechnology Engineering)

Prof Zare is an academic staff at the University of Queensland in Australia and has published over 280 peer-reviewed journal & conference papers, 40 technical reports and five patents in the area of Power Electronics and Pulsed Power. He has supervised 13 PhD, 10 M.Sc and M.Eng and a high number of B.Eng students to completion. He has mentored and supervised 14 post-docs and research engineers in the field of energy conversion systems. Prof Zare established a joint chapter of the IEEE Power Electronics/Industrial Electronics/ Industry Applications Societies in Queensland in 2017 and has supported the chapter as a committee member till the present.

He has secured several research funds including eight ARCs, one NHMRC and one Danish Research Council competitive research fund and 20 industry-based projects, over AU$ 10M since 2007.

• First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2018-2021, LP170100902)
• First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2017-2020, LP160101675)
• First Chief Investigator, ARC Future Fellowship (2016-2020, FT150100042)
• First Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2007-2009, DP0774497)
• First Chief Investigator, ARC Linkage grant (2007-2009, LP0774899)
• One of the Chief Investigators, ARC LIEF grant (2008, LE0883074)
• First Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2009-2011, DP0986853)
• Second Chief Investigator, ARC Discovery grant (2010-2013, DP0774092)

• First Chief Investigator, the Danish Innovation Fund (2014-2017)

• One of the Chief Investigators, NHMRC Idea Grant (2020-2023, APP1182038)

• One of the Chief Investigators, Global Innovation Linkage (GIL) Fund (2020-2023)

Prof Zare has received several awards such as:

• A paper award in the IEEE 3rd International Conference on “Sustainable Energy and Future Electric Transportation” (SEFET-2023)
• The IEEE Industrial Drives Committee Transactions Paper Awards, which recognise the best papers reviewed by the Industrial Drives Committee and published in IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications in 2022
• Star Associate Editor Award (2020) by the Editorial Board of the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics
• Certificate of Appreciation for Lead Editor Services and Contributions towards the advancement of IEEE Access and the Engineering Professions (April 2020)
• One of the high-quality journal papers of May 2019 nominated by the IEEE Power Electronics (TPEL) Committee
• The 2015 Innovation and Excellence Awards (the 3rd place) under the 10th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship ECIE 2015, Italy.
• Pasteur Program 2015 leadership program, Harvard Business School in Boston, USA and Denmark, Jan-Dec 2015
• Innovation Competition at Danfoss Company in 2015.
• Recipient of the National Safe Work Australia Award by Queensland Government, (2011)
• Dean’s Commendation Award for high-quality supervision of two PhD graduate students (2011)
• Recipient of the Australian Academy of Science International Linkage Fellowship (2010)
• Recipient of a prestigious QUT Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellowship (2009)
• Recipient of the John Madsen Medal from the Australian Institute of Engineers for the best journal paper (2009)
• Certificate of Appreciation for an outstanding contribution to symposium workshops and tutorials at Asia-Pacific Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility in conjunction with the 19th International Zurich Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility (Singapore, 2008)
• Recipient of QUT Early Career Research Award (2007)
• Awarded the Australian Academy of Technological Science Symposium Fellowship by the Australian Academy of Technological Science (2001)
• Awarded Cigre student paper prize at AUPEC 2000 conference in Australia (2000)

National and International Assessor:

• Australian Research Council
• Chilean National Research Agencies
• Czech Science Foundation
• Dutch Research Council; Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) - Applied and Engineering Sciences (AES)
• Kyoto Prize Nominator (Lifetime achievement in: Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences and Art; rewards: 100 million yen and a 20-karat 250 g gold medal)

Editorial Membership:

• Editor in Chief of International Power Electronics Journal, July 2016 - August 2019
• Senior Editor of IEEE Access journal, Jan 2021- present
• Associate Editor of IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics, Sep 2014 -present
• Associate Editor of IEEE Access journal, Dec 2015-Dec 2020
• Associate Editor of IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, March 2020 -present
• Associate Editor of MDPI Journal of Electronics, April 2020 -present
• Editorial Board member of an International Electronic Engineering Journal (AIMS Press), Sep 2017- present
• Editorial Board member of International Power Electronics Journal, August 2019 - present
• Guest Editor, IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics, SPECIAL SECTION on Modelling and Analysis of Interaction between Grids and Grid-Connected Power Electronics Converters in Distribution Networks (2020)
• Guest Editor, IEEE ACCESS SPECIAL SECTION on POWER QUALITY AND HARMONICS ISSUES OF FUTURE AND SMART GRIDS (2018)
• IEEE Journal of Emerging Topics in Power Electronics SPECIAL SECTION EDITORIAL Board Member: on Harmonics Stability and Mitigation in Power Electronics (2016)

Memberships

• IEEE Fellow for contribution to power converters and leadership role in standardization
• Member of Danish Standardization Committee (2013-2016)
• Member of International IEC Committee Working groups 1, 8 and 9 (2013-Present)
• Member of Australian Standardization Committee (2017-present)

Leadership Training

- Management Essentials, Harvard Business School (Oct-Dec 2020)

Management Essentials provides participants with key tools and techniques to become more effective managers and get things done.

- Technology Leadership, Harvard Business School (Jan-Dec 2015)

Prof Zare has a leadership certificate from Harvard Business School, Boston, USA (Jan-Nov 2015). He was awarded a technology leadership program by the Danish Innovation Council, to attend one year program delivered by Harvard Business School. The goal of this program was to educate innovators on how to develop new technologies. In his leadership roles, he has explored and discussed many challenging issues from project management to academic staff interaction and from different disciplines to maintain and expand collaborations relevant to these themes:

- Strategy & Innovation

- Negotiations, Organizations and Markets

- Commercialising Science

- Project Management

- Leadership & Networking

- Technology Leadership in Denmark (2014)

Industry project management and leadership training - from Lab to Product. Supported by Man on the Moon program at global Danfoss Drive research and development centre.

- Ethos Leadership Program (Feb-Dec 2009)

He has also an Academic Leadership certificate from Ethos Australia.