Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
I am a Professor and Executive Dean at the University of Canterbury, where I lead the Faculty of Engineering and serve as a Senior Leadership Team Member. With over 25 years of experience in academia and industry, I have a passion for advancing scholarship, innovation, and collaboration in mm-wave microelectronics, an enabling technology for 5G and 6G telecommunications. I am also an active member and leader of the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organization, where I've contributed to its strategic vision, governance, and editorial activities. As a Visiting Professor and Research Collaborator at institutions in South Africa and the US, I supervise and mentor postgraduate students and fellows, and foster international partnerships. My mission is to leverage my expertise and network to empower the next generation of engineers and researchers, and to address the global challenges and opportunities in the field of engineering.
Reporting to the university's Vice-Chancellor and Principal, I serve the Christchurch community through University of Canterbury (UC) Faculty of Engineering. UC Engineering includes a number of game-changing schools - ranging from product design, forestry, mathematics, engineering, computing, and others; there's a transdisciplinary connectivity and one that continues to be transformative globally. As an academic, I advance scholarship in mm-wave microelectronics; this is an enabling integrated technology for 5G and 6G telecommunications.
Serves as a member of the IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal Committee, responsible for evaluating nominations, applying IEEE’s rigorous selection criteria, and contributing to the recognition of outstanding achievements in science and engineering.
https://corporate-awards.ieee.org/award/ieee-theodore-w-hissey-outstanding-young-professional-award/
"Understand technical education ecosystems and consider opportunities for IEEE to develop cost effective mission and/or surplus generating primary and continuing education programs to support the educational needs of technology professionals and to increase the supply of those professionals to help solve the world's problems and to create new opportunities for humanity." (IEEE Educational Activities)
Incoming Member, Board of Directors (Q4, 2023) Member, Board of Directors (2025-2028) Further info. https://loom.ly/YK5Zvfo
"The Programs Committee meets virtually several times during the year and is responsible for oversight of the approximately 250 funds and associated programs of the Foundation." (Dr Jerry Hudgins, VP of Programs)
U.S. Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar Program: > Last-Mile Telecommunications: Millimeter-Wave Integrated Circuits In the quest for technological solutions (SiGe, Systems-in-Package (SiP) and others) towards cost-effective 5G telecommunications. Separately, developing both the technical and non-technical perspectives for 6G telecommunications. Building on previous work – M. Božanić and S. Sinha, “Mobile Communication Networks: 5G and a Vision of 6G” (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-69273-5)
Supervision of Postgraduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows at Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Postgraduate School of Engineering Management and Johannesburg Business School.
Institutional level accountability for executive portfolios: Research and Innovation, Internationalisation, Postgraduate Studies and the Library. Furthermore, the University has shareholding in a number of companies. To bring about the innovation-commercialisation nexus, I serve as chair or member of university-company boards. Strategic driver for excellence in research, innovation and internationalisation – leading to Global Excellence and Stature (GES), UJ Strategic Goal, 2025. A significant component of the work achieved here is to contextualise the University’s GES strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). On 19 Mar. 2019, the strategic contextualisation or catalyst initiative received the approval of the UJ Council. The GES “4.0” budget exceeds ZAR 550 m, excl. the ICS infrastructure (an additional ZAR 127 m).
As Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, I’ve overall responsibility. My tasks include implementation of the UJ strategy through the faculty, which constitutes over 9,500 undergraduate students, postgraduate students and postdoctoral research fellows. The faculty benefits from a staff complement of over 250 (full-time) and over 500 part-time/contract/temporary staff per annum.