Tim Besley, 79
Chairman of the Australian Research Council, Sydney

Tim Besley continues to be active in aca-demic and research pursuits.
As chair of the National Council for the Science and Engineering Challenge and the Carrick In-stitute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, he is proud of recent achievements in promoting and advancing Australian science and engineering education.
In particular, he noted that the Science and Engineering Challenge is now producing results that show a great effect in the take-up of science and technology subjects by senior school students who have come through the Challenge in previous years.
In Besley's role as chair of the ARC, he presides over the formulation of strategic plans the ARC presents to the government for investment toward research infrastructure, priorities, training and careers, public engagement and effective organisation.
Besley is a graduate of civil engineering from the University of New Zealand.
His distinguished career has included 17 years working on the Snowy Mountains Scheme and serving as chairman of both the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Leighton Holdings.
He was also secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Business and Consumer Affairs and chancellor of Macquarie University from 1994 until 2001.
When time permits Besley enjoys retreating to his property in the Hunter Valley for a game of golf.

Gregory Hancock, 58
Dean of Engineering at the
University of Sydney

Professor Gregory Hancock is dean of engineering at the University of Sydney, a faculty with 3200 students.
He is currently involved with the University Senior Executive to develop the new University of Sydney Faculty Cluster of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology.
In the past year, Hancock ran an International Workshop on cold-formed steel structures with the leading researchers in the field from Australia and India at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras.
He has also been working on the establishment of Engineering Sydney, the University of Sydney Engineering Faculty's external links organisation which brings industry and students together.
Hancock balances his dean position with duties as the Bluescope Steel professor of steel structures.
He has a PhD and DEng from the University of Sydney.
Hancock enjoys swimming, walking and visiting exhibitions at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Jannie van Deventer, 51
Dean of Engineering at the University
of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is working through a fundamental shift in the way it delivers higher education and the dean of engineering, Professor Jannie van Deventer, is actively involved. He is devoting a lot of time and energy to two change management processes.
The first is the Growing Esteem program, a university wide strategic plan that includes a major change in course development.
From 2008, students of the university will study a three-year generalist first degree before proceeding to a professional two-year degree in the case of engineering.
The second has been in the engineering faculty which has undergone a major review where significant strategic changes are occurring in research and teaching.
Van Deventer envisages that these major changes will shift the engineering faculty, currently ranked 19 in the world, "to another level of acting strategically in research, teaching and knowledge transfer".
The faculty currently has 4240 engineering students enrolled.
Van Deventer is still involved in mineral processing and geopolymer research and has now published over 200 journal papers, including 10 journal papers in the past year. He continues to supervise a large number of PhD and postdoctoral students.
A chemical engineer, van Deventer holds three doctorates in engineering and commerce from the Universities of Stellenbosch and South Africa.

David Skellern, 55
Chief Executive Officer of National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA), Sydney

Dr David Skellern has a strong background in research, education, collaboration and commercialisation in ICT.
He was appointed CEO of NICTA in May last year and his contract was recently extended for a further three years.
Skellern said NICTA and its business model can contribute to the Australian ICT sector being a global player.
In the past year he has been involved in harnessing ICT talent to build Australia's ICT capabilities.
Over the next three years, he plans "to oversee the first phase of the comm-ercialisation of research, further establish Australia's ICT research on the global stage, and continue to build a dynamic culture where people seek to work".
In 2005 he was named Professional Engineer of the Year by Engineers AustraliaÕs Sydney Division.
Skellern began his career in 1974 at the University of Sydney where he worked on the Fleurs Synthesis Radiotelescope, one of Australia's pioneering giant radiotelescopes. Skellern also spent significant time working in industry as a visiting researcher, including over two years at Hewlett Packard Laboratories.
In 1997 he cofounded the Radiata Group, building a successful company with a team of 65 staff.
Radiata was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2001 for $565 million.
Skellern received degrees in computer science and mathematics, and electrical engineering, as well as a PhD, all from the University of Sydney. He enjoys choral singing, guitar and dancing.

Geoff Garrett, 58
Chief Executive of CSIRO, Canberra

Since joining CSIRO as chief executive in January 2001, Dr Geoff Garrett and his team have been seeking to achieve greater focus on the major scientific challenges and opportunities for Australia. This has involved developing stronger partnerships across CSIRO's innovation system, and growing the organisationÕs impact through a unified Òone-CSIROÓ approach.
Garrett has been instrumental in setting up the organisation's Flagship Programs, operating in the six areas of preventative health, energy, water, light metals, food production and marine research.
With undergraduate studies and a PhD in metallurgy from Cambridge, Garrett enjoyed 15 years in academic life before joining South Africa's national science agency, CSIR in 1986. He subsequently became president and CEO in 1995. In 1998 he was named South Africa's Engineer of the Year.
Garrett serves on the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.
Apart from family, his main outside interests are tennis and fishing.

Peter Lee, 51
Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic at the University of South Australia, Adelaide
Professor Peter Lee is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor Academic at the University of South Australia.

The university has nearly 2000 engineering students and 2300 in IT.
An author of three books and over 240 papers, he also has a consultancy practice in the feasibility, development and application of process control methods.
Lee has worked in process control for the last 25 years, both in academe and industry including time at ICI Australia. He is also a consultant to the United Nations Industry Development Organisation.
His involvement in the education sector has included senior positions at Curtin University of Technology, Murdoch University and the University of Queensland.
Lee was educated in Melbourne and has an engineering degree from RMIT and a PhD from Monash University.

Paul Greenfield, 59
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland

Professor Paul Green-field is responsible for the financial performance and strategic direction of the faculties and institutes of the University of Queensland. He has been in his current role since 2002.
Currently, he chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee overseeing the $5.2 million Moreton Bay and Brisbane River Wastewater Management Study.
He is also chair for the Waste Technical Working Group, Basel Convention and is a director of several university companies including UniQuest.
Greenfield's research is recognised internationally for its capacity to attract funding, including $6.3 million in competitive grants.
He still supervises PhD students and is credited with more than 180 journal publications, 120 conference publications, three patents and more than 20 invited international addresses.
Last January Greenfield was appointed an officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for service to science and engineering.
This recognised his research in the areas of chemical engineering, biotechnology, wastewater and environmental management.
He graduated and completed a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales.
In 1975 he joined the University of Queensland as a lecturer in chemical engineering and a decade later became Head of Department and then Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Physical Sciences and Engineering before being appointed an inaugural Executive Dean in 1997.

Tamarapu Sridhar, 56
Dean of Engineering at Monash
University, Melbourne

Professor Tam Sri-dhar has been dean of the engineering faculty at Monash Uni-versity since 2003. It is a faculty that now boasts 4250 engi-neering students.
When Sridhar was recognised as a Sir Monash Distinguished Professor he viewed the award as acknowledgement of the Monash engineering faculty which "continues to perform extremely well, due to the work and dedication of the faculty staff and the support of the university".
Sridhar, a chemical engineer with expertise in polymers and reaction engineering, has a distinguished research record and current research includes gas liquid reactions at high pressures and temperatures in organic oxidations and polymer rheology.
Sridhar was chairman of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in Australia in 2004/2005.
He has a near 30-year association with Monash, where he was awarded his PhD, having previously studied at Madras University and the Indian Institute of Science.
In his spare time he enjoys golf and reading.

Archie Johnston, 54
Dean of Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney, President of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans

Professor Archie Johnston is dean of engineering at the University of Technology Sydney, one of the world leading faculties in practice-based engineering education. There are currently 3550 students studying engineering at UTS.
In the past year Johnston addressed the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council working group on enhancing relationships between Australia, India and China in the area of engineering education.
In his role as president of the Australian Council of Engineering Deans, Johnston is involved with engineering staff and students in every Australian university and talking with government, the community and industry on how best to serve their various needs.
Johnston is a member of the Steering Committee for the federal government's Science, Engineering and Technology Skills Audit. He was recently appointed an advisory professor to Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China and external adviser to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
Johnston received a PhD and science degree from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Ian Young, 49
Vice-Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne

Professor Ian Young is vice-chancellor at Swinburne University of Technology, which has both higher education and TAFE components.
Swinburne has over 30,100 full-time equivalent students with the engineering faculty being responsible for 13% of these students.
Young has led Swinburne to be one of five universities in Australia to be recognised by the federal government for the Award of Excellence of Learning and Teaching under the Learning & Teaching Fund, worth approximately $3 million. Under his reign the university has also had growth of 30% in the number of commencing international students.
Young has been instrumental in Swinburne's expansion in Melbourne and Malaysia. A major building redevelopment of the university's Melbourne campus valued at $120 million has been financed by a partnership between the university and private investors.
The expansion of the university's campus in Sarawak, Malaysia, included being granted autonomous status by the Malaysian gov-ernment and an investment of $35 million by the state government of Sarawak.
Young is a director of IDP Education, Australia, a global not-for-profit organisation with more than 69 locations in 31 countries.
Young holds a degree in civil engineering, a masters of engineering science and a PhD in coastal engineering, all from James Cook University, Townsville.

Brendon Parker, 62
Dean of Engineering at the University of New South Wales, and Chair of the G08 Deans of Engineering.

Professor Brendon Parker is dean of engineering at UNSW, the largest school of engineering in Australia with 7300 students in engineering and 1800 students in IT.
It was recognised as the leading school in Australia and 16th in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2005.
Parker is guiding the school toward a new curriculum which will increase the emphasis on design and creativity.
He is also keen to see a stronger involvement of industry in research and professional development programs.
He is chair of th G08 Deans of Engineering representing the 10 most research intensive engineering faculties in Australia.

Engineers Australia Magazine, Volume 78 No 6, June 2006.

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