Professor Elaine Wong of University of Melbourne

Women in STEM disciplines remain chronically underrepresented. In 2018, the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Melbourne undertook the radical approach of a targeted recruitment strategy with the aim to shift the dial on gender representation and on broader culture change. This talk will briefly discuss the rationale behind this strategic approach and its rippling effects, covering both successes and on-going challenges five years on. As importantly, complementary inclusion initiatives and actions to benefit all staff to thrive at work will also be discussed.

Biography:

Professsor Elaine Wong received Ph.D. degree from the University of Melbourne, Australia in 2002. She is currently Associate Dean (Diversity and Inclusion) and Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Melbourne. Her research interests include optical and wireless networks, wireless sensor body area networks, and emerging optical and wireless technologies for human-to-machine applications. Elaine has co-authored more than 150 journal and conference publications. She has served on the editorial boards of the IEEE/OSA Journal of Lightwave Technology (JLT)and the IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking. She is an active volunteer for IEEE and Optica, most notably as an elected member of the IEEE Photonics Society Board-of-Governors, Secretary of the JLT Steering Committee, Vice-Chair of the IEEE Communications Society Optical Networking Technical Committee, and Program Chair of the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) 2023. Elaine is also serving on the IEEE Photonics Society Publications Council and the IEEE Technical Activities Board Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. Elaine Wong is a Fellow of Optica and Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia.

Email:

Address:Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Grattan Street, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3010