September 13, 2021

New Executive Dean of Engineering & Information Sciences announced

UOW’s Senior Professor Gursel Alici appointed

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Senior Professor Gursel Alici as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences.

Senior Professor Alici, who has been acting in the role since June this year, brings to the role over 30 years’ experience in leading edge engineering research, and a successful track record in teaching and academic leadership.

A graduate of Oxford University, Senior Professor Alici joined UOW in 2004 and has served as head of the University’s School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering since 2011. He has been Chief Investigator on 13 successful Australian Research Council (ARC) funded projects over 17 years and is UOW’s Director of Applied Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering Research (AMBER) Group.

Senior Professor Alici is internationally respected, having undertaken research at the Swiss Institute of Technology, the City University of Hong Kong and the University of British Columbia in Canada as well as being an assessor for European, Canadian, French, Singaporean and Australian research funding organisations.

Senior Professor Alici is best known for his ‘soft robotics’ research, developing technologically advanced robotic prosthetics for amputees with the team at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES).

During his 17 years’ at UOW, Senior Professor Alici has also been committed to teaching and developing others. He is a mentor for UOW’s Early Career Researcher Development Program, supervised 27 PhD candidates, received the University’s Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning (OCTAL) Award in 2010 and was highly commended for research supervision in the 2018 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.

Engineers Australia Chief Executive Officer, Dr Bronwyn Evans AM, advised UOW on this important appointment.

“I am delighted that Senior Professor Gursel Alici has been appointed the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences. His international reputation and links to industry will continue to elevate the Faculty’s reputation and profile.

“The University of Wollongong has a proud history of excellence in Engineering and Information Sciences research and teaching that only continues to strengthen. These fields of endeavour have never been more important especially as the challenges facing the world become more urgent and more complex. I look forward to Professor Alici’s leadership of the Faculty.

UOW Vice-Chancellor, , also welcomed Senior Professor Alici’s appointment.

“Senior Professor Alici has been an effective academic leader within the Faculty for many years and is well-placed to take the reins at this crucial time for STEM disciplines.

“His interdisciplinary research leadership experience, particularly where engineering and medical research intersect, exemplifies the kind of collaboration we need across our University.

“I congratulate him on his appointment and look forward to continuing to work with him as part of my executive leadership team,” Professor Davidson said.