Dr. Ruwini Edirisinghe of RMIT University

Leadership begins with empowerment and the first session embodies that spirit. Led by Dr. Ruwini Edirisinghe, this session is all about how IEEE Women in Engineering are building pathways for future generations through skill development and collaboration.

Biography:

Dr. Ruwini is currently serving as the Chair of the WIE Affinity Group of the IEEE Victorian Section. She is also the WIE Coordinator of the IEEE Australia Council. She is working as a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University.

Dr. Biplob Ray of CQUniversity

Leadership also requires strong foundations in organization and accountability. In this session, we are diving into vTools Training on Officer and Event Reporting.

Biography:

Dr. Biplob Ray is the Vice Chair of IEEE Victorian Section. He is an Associate Professor at CQUniversity. He is also the Lead Chief Editor for our biannual magazine "Uplink". 

Reshma Kunjumon of Deakin University

If leadership is about vision, marketing is the ability to inspire and engage others. This is a session to share practical strategies that go beyond catchy hashtags.

Biography:

Reshma, a Ph.D. candidate at Deakin University, is currently serving as the Section Student Representative of the IEEE Victorian Section and a Member of IEEE Region 10 Professional Activities Committee.

Dr. Anu Sabu of Bionics Institute

Young professionals are the bridge between education and industry, between learning and leadership. This session is to show how IEEE Young Professionals connect, collaborate, and create meaningful impact.

Biography:

Dr. Anu Sabu, a Research Fellow at Bionics Institute, is currently serving as the Chair of the YP Affinity Group and the Secretary of the SIGHT Group of the IEEE Victorian Section. She is also the Vice Chair of the IEEE Region 10 Young Professionals and the Editor of the IEEE Region 10 Newsletter Committee.

This session highlights voices of emerging leaders who represent the next wave of IEEE. 

Biography:

Moderated by the SAC Vice-Coordinator Dr. Jing Zhu, the session will include open floor discussions and shared experiences from three emerging leaders: 

• Dr. Lili Chen who has served as the President of IEEE WIE at Uni Melbourne

• Sudarshan Samarasinghe, PhD Student from Deakin University who has served as the Chair of Deakin IEEE Student Branch and is currently serving as the Asst. Treasurer of IEEE Victorian Section and 

• Isuru Senadheera, PhD Student from La Trobe Uni who is currently serving in various capacities as the Chair of IEEE La Trobe SB, IEEE Industrial Application Society La Trobe Chapter and IEEE Industrial Electronics Society La Trobe Chapter.

Vijay S Paul of Monash University

Transparency and participation are cornerstones of leadership. This session is to help us navigate OU Analytics, Nominations and Elections. If democracy had a data dashboard, this would be it.

Biography:

Vijay is a Senior Trainer and Business Improvement Specialist at Monash University. He is currently serving as the Chair of the IEEE Victorian Section and the Chair of the IEEE Region 10 Information Management Committee. He is also a Member of the IEEE MGA GUOS Committee.

Lakshitha Gunasekara of La Trobe University

Resources sustain our initiatives, and understanding how to manage them empowers us to do more. This is a session to decode the mysteries of financial guidelines and rebates.

Biography:

Lakshitha Gunasekara is a Ph.D. candidate at La Trobe University and has a long history of volunteering with IEEE. He is currently serving as the Treasurer of IEEE Victorian Section.

Dr. Subodha Charles

Our journey with IEEE is filled with opportunities to grow, to lead, and to serve. This session will walk us through the various opportunity pathways with IEEE.

Biography:

Dr. Subodha Charles is the Chair of IEEE MGA SAC. Dr. Subodha is the Group Chairman of Pearl Cluster and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Moratuwa in his professional life. Starting as a student volunteer, he has a very long association with IEEE in various volunteering and leadership capacities.

Dr. Bhagwan Das

From pathways, we now move to milestones - moving forward with knowledge, service, and recognition. This session will guide us through the Senior Membership Enrichment Program. 

Biography:

Dr. Bhagwan Das, a senior research fellow at the Uni of Melbourne, is currently serving as the Membership Development Coordinator of the IEEE Victorian Section and the Chair of the Computer Society Chapter of the IEEE Victorian Section. He is also the Secretary of the YP Affinity Group of the IEEE Victorian Section.