Lisanne is a Lecturer in Law at the School of Law. Prior to transitioning to full‑time academia, she worked in legal practice at law firms in Amsterdam and Sydney. She has also been affiliated with the University of Sydney, and in 2018 she was appointed Honorary Associate of the School of Psychology to strengthen her collaboration with forensic psychology scholars examining psychological dimensions of criminal procedures.

Lisanne completed her PhD at RMIT in 2023, where she examined the occurrence of, and contributing factors to, involuntary false confessions and wrongful convictions. She has critically analysed the admissibility of confession evidence and the exercise of judicial discretions to exclude involuntary or otherwise unreliable confessions.

Lisanne is also an Australian lawyer admitted in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Dr. Leila Afshari is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Management and currently serves as the Co-Leader of the Gender Equity and Organisations Theme at the Centre for Organisations and Social Change (COSC) at RMIT University. She joined RMIT in 2022 after serving as School Director-Graduate Research and Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University. Before entering academia, Dr. Afshari gained substantial industry experience, where she managed people, projects, and operations. This professional background continues to shape her research and teaching with a strong industry focus.

Dr Afshari earned her PhD in Business and Management from RMIT University in 2017 and also holds a Bachelor's (Honours) in Engineering. Her research interests span the Future of Work and Employment, Employee Well-being, Organisational Leadership, Women in STEM and Leadership, and Career Development, with a particular emphasis on professional migrant workers and knowledge workers. Her work is published in top-tier academic journals, and a full list of her publications can be found on her Google Scholar profile.

Dr. Afshari is the Co-Editor in Chief of the Leadership & Organization Development Journal and sits on the Editorial Boards of Personnel Review, the Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, and Human Resource Development International. She has successfully secured over half a million dollars in external research funding as a lead investigator. Her latest project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, and Resources, is focused on future-proofing career development for female migrants.

I am Applied Economist working in the areas of development, gender and household behaviour using lab and field experiments. 

Dr. Alireza Ahankoob is a researcher in Construction Management at RMIT University, bringing extensive experience across both academic and industry environments. His work focuses on digitisation in construction, with expertise spanning Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital fabrication, smart buildings, and lean construction. He has led and contributed to numerous research initiatives aimed at advancing digital technologies and prefabrication methods to enhance the efficiency, quality, and sustainability of construction practices. His research is characterised by a strong commitment to integrating theoretical insight with practical innovation, positioning him as a leading contributor to the evolving field of construction digitisation.

Dr Saima Ahmad is a Senior Lecturer in Business Administration at RMIT University's School of Management. She holds a PhD in Management from Monash University. Her research focuses on the development of sustainable work environments and the promotion of individual well-being by cultivating positive leadership styles. She is dedicated to advancing knowledge on leadership, organizational behavior and workplace dynamics to create positive impacts within communities. She has published widely in high-ranking journals and actively contributes to academic conferences and industry collaborations. Her dedication to student success and scholarly excellence has earned her recognition through multiple teaching and research awards.

Saima served as the HDR Coordinator for the Graduate School of Business and Law (GSBL) at RMIT University from 2022 to 2024, and adopted a candidate-centered approach to foster a supportive and inclusive research community. Overseeing the PhD (Business), PhD (Law), and Master by Research programs in Business and Law, she ensured smooth program operations while supporting HDR students and their supervisors. She played a key role in managing student recruitment and selection, facilitating professional development initiatives, and coordinating social events and activities to enhance the student experience. Under her leadership, the school surpassed previous records for HDR completions. Her outstanding leadership and commitment to HDR development were recognized with the 2022 RMIT GSBL Dean’s Merit Award for HDR Leadership Excellence. 

In the RMIT MBA program, Saima coordinates and delivers courses such as Leadership Issues in International Management and Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption. She empowers students with valuable insights and equips them with the necessary skills to thrive in the dynamic business landscape. Saima serves on the editorial board of the European Management Journal and PLoS One. She sits on the ABEN Advisory Committee.

Professional interests:
- Member of the Academy of Management

- Member of the European Academy of Management
- Member of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management
- Member of the Australasian Business Ethics Network

Lola Akin Ojelabi is Professor and Head of Department (Law) in the School of Law. 

Lola’s research focuses on access to justice and conflict resolution: appropriate dispute resolution (ADR) including in relation to ethics, mediator responsibilities, teaching ADR in the law curriculum, cultural appropriateness, ADR and access to justice and ADR and social justice. Lola is interested in the role of international law in promoting global peace and justice particularly, how finding shared values may assist in the resolution or management of seemingly intractable conflicts.  She is co-author of Ethics and Justice in Mediation (2018), Dispute Resolution in Australia: Cases, Commentary and Materials (2023), Alternative Dispute Resolution (2026).

Professor Marco Amati is an accomplished environmental scientist with a deep-seated passion for urban research. His expertise spans a broad range of topics related to city environments, including extensive studies on urban greening. His work has involved everything from large-scale surveys of metropolitan trees to examining the impact of indoor plants on mental well-being.

Currently, Professor Amati's research focuses on the future of urban outdoor spaces. He combines his interest in the cooling benefits of shade and trees with a strong emphasis on social sciences. His innovative approach aims to enhance our understanding of how urban greenery can contribute to both environmental sustainability and community well-being.

Myla is Associate Professor in Construction Management at RMIT University School of Property, Construction and Project Management. She conducts research in architectural and building science with industry oriented research revolving around the relevant and topical issues and questions on building pathology and performance, energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and urban microclimates.

Myla is Director of the Sustainable Building Innovation Laboratory (SBi Lab). She examines building science through empirical, applied and participatory action research methodologies, informed by a clear understanding of the implications of various challenges such as climate, health and wellbeing and building performance which ensure ongoing contribution to knowledge of theory and practice in the discipline area.

Myla teaches in the Master of Energy Efficient and Sustainable Building (MEESB) and undergraduate Construction Management (on-shore and off-shore) programs. As educator in the built environment discipline, her teaching approach draws on her building science research and building construction experience to enable students navigate the dynamic construction industry and building sector, and moreover, the complex challenges in built environment, including climate change and energy use, urbanisation and  infrastructure construction. 

Prior to joining RMIT University initially as research fellow at the Centre for Design, Myla worked full-time as project coordinator in an Adelaide- and Sydney-based architectural practice specialising in commercial retail architecture and shopping centre planning and design. Among her key responsibilities include general project and contract administration, project documentation and monitoring, liaison with design and engineering consultants, project managers and builders, coordination with local councils and government authorities on development applications (mainly in South Australia and New South Wales). Myla also practiced as registered architect in the Philippines prior to pursuing her PhD and worked on architectural/engineering design and project management of design and construct (D&C) residential, ecclesiastical, retail and medium-rise commercial building projects.

Awards:

Adelaide (Research) Scholarship International (ASI) 2001-2004, University of Adelaide

Brenda Nettle Prize 2004, Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW) - South Australia

Kate holds a Vice Chancellor's Principal Research Fellowship in RMIT's School of Computing Technologies. Her research explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging digital technologies can be made more useful, accessible, and inclusive for people with disability. Kate is a fierce advocate for authentic co-design and consumer consultation, and enjoys working with many partners across the disability community. 

Kate has a clinical background as a speech pathologist, with specialist expertise in the areas of cerebral palsy, neurodiversity, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She enjoys teaching students from all disciplines about responsible AI, assistive technology, accessibility, user experience, and co-design methods.

Professor Alisa Andrasek is a design researcher and innovator exploring how artificial intelligence and computation can expand the creative and systemic capacities of design. Her research develops what she terms agentic design cognition—a framework where human and machine intelligence co-author adaptive architectures, cities, and infrastructures through multimodal, data-rich, and multi-objective design processes.

As founder and director of AIARCH, she investigates how digital and material systems can converge into high-resolution fabrics of design that are context-sensitive, regenerative, and aesthetically advanced. Her work also extends into AI in education, pioneering new methodologies that position AI not only as a tool, but as a medium for reasoning, creativity, and co-evolution in teaching and learning.

Previously Director of B-Pro AD and the Wonderlab research group at UCL Bartlett, she has also taught at Columbia University, the Architectural Association, and the European Graduate School. Her work has been widely published and exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, Centre Pompidou, and ZKM Karlsruhe.

Dr. Stephanie Andrews is currently the Program Manager for the Masters of Animation, Games, and Interactivity (MAGI)  at the RMIT School of Design and holds a PhD in the creation of virtual reality experiences. She began as a Technical Director at Pixar, and has had a genre-spanning career around the intersection of art and technology since. Her practice-based research is currently focused on the use of stereoscopic spatial hacking in virtual reality to create perceptual experiences that are unique to synthetic environments. She has worked extensively in 3D graphics, including animation, motion capture, programming, and UX design.  She is a leader in curriculum innovation in experimental art, being instrumental in the creation of the Center for Digital Art and Experimental Media (DXARTS) undergraduate degree and PhD degrees at the University of Washington. There she also won grants totaling more than $300,000 USD for stereoscopic research, bringing in a ground-breaking audio-video suite to the program and leading student research projects in 3D media overseas. She’s been exhibiting internationally as a professional artist for more than twenty years, her works exploring kinetic sculpture, holography, digital imaging, and lighting installation. Her works have been exhibited in Australia, Iceland, the UK, and the USA. As an entrepreneur, she has also founded product design companies for the online metaverse Second Life, and provided leadership to 3D printing startups. Recently, she spent three years as Creative Director for the Melbourne-based virtual reality and neuroscience company Liminal.

Dr. Dao Le Trang Anh is a senior lecturer in Finance at RMIT University Vietnam, Hanoi campus. She is also an adjunct senior lecturer at Lincoln University, New Zealand. Dr Trang Anh is currently Associate Editor of the International Journal of Social Economics and Lead of Digital Economy and Emerging Markets research theme, under Centre for Business and Emerging Technologies (CBET), at RMIT Vietnam.

Awards and recognitions:
- 2025 PRME Education Award Winner - Research Category (PRME: Principles for Responsible Management Education, a United Nations initiative that aims to raise the profile of sustainability in business and management education). 

- 2025 RMIT CoBL Award for Research Excellence - Early Career Researcher

- RMIT The Business School's Research Impact Award 2024 - Early Career Academic

- Emerald Awards 2023 Literati for Outstanding Reviewer
- Literati Award Winners 2022 of Journal of Economic Studies for Outstanding Paper
- Pounamu bearer in 2021 Graduation: Was chosen as Pounamu bearer to be handed the Pounamu (greenstone symbolises education) in the 2021 Graduation ceremony of Lincoln University
- Winner of Postgraduate Conference, Lincoln University (2018)
- Lincoln University Doctoral Scholarship, New Zealand (2018 – 2020)
- University Trust International Leadership Scholarship, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (2012)
- SCIC - Fostering Young Talents” Scholarship: Scholarship of State Capital Investment Corporation (Vietnam) for students with excellent academic results and performance (2011)
- Finalist - Global Social Venture Competition, Southeast Asia Round, Bangkok, Thailand (2011)

Dr Nalin Arachchilage is an Associate Professor in Cyber Security in the School of Computing Technologies at RMIT University, a Regenerative Futures Fellow, and the Group Leader of the Human-Centred Cyber Security (HCCS) research group within the RMIT Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation (CCSRI). Nalin's research advances human-centred cybersecurity and privacy by integrating the human, technical, and policy dimensions of digital trust. Positioned at the intersection of cyber security, human–computer interaction (HCI), software engineering, machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP), his work focuses on building secure, ethical, and resilient technologies that place people at the centre of digital design. In recognition of his research impact and outreach, Nalin received RMIT’s Top Performer – Media Stars Award (2025). He currently leads the redevelopment of RMIT’s Master of Cyber Security program, integrating regenerative futures principles to create a cutting-edge, industry-informed, and culturally inclusive curriculum that fosters sustainable, ethical, and resilient cyber capabilities for the evolving digital landscape.

Nalin’s career reflects a global journey of academic leadership and innovation across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. He has held senior research and teaching roles that bridge academia, industry, and government, shaping the next generation of cybersecurity education and practice.

At the University of Auckland, he served as Senior Lecturer and Assistant Head of School (Research), where he led the Master of Professional Studies in Digital Security program and strengthened research capacity in emerging areas of cyber resilience. He was previously a Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University, contributing to the Optus–La Trobe Cyber Security Research Hub, advancing applied cybersecurity research and industry collaboration.

Nalin worked as a Lecturer in Cyber Security and previously led the Usable Security Engineering Group at UNSW within the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), where he pioneered Australia’s first human‑centred cybersecurity courses for defence personnel.

His leadership brought together behavioural science and secure systems engineering to strengthen cyber resilience within military and national‑security contexts. His international research career began at the University of Oxford, where he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant specialising in systems security engineering and trust frameworks. He then continued to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada as a Postdoctoral Fellow, where he advanced research into technical security solutions that meaningfully integrate human behaviour, decision‑making, and risk perception into digital security and privacy design.

Together, these experiences position Nalin as a thought leader at the intersection of research, education, and policy, dedicated to strengthening cyber resilience across communities, industry, and national security sectors.

Research Focus:

With a strong emphasis on building secure, resilient, and quantum‑ready critical infrastructure systems, Nalin’s research tackles some of the most pressing national and global cyber challenges, including:

🧠 Human-Centred Cybersecurity & Privacy: Designing secure systems that account for user behaviour, cognition, and decision-making.

🔐 Applied & Post-Quantum Cryptography: Supporting developers to integrate quantum-resilient algorithms into contemporary applications.

🤖 AI, ML, NLP & Responsible AI Security: Safeguarding systems and societies against AI-driven deception, misinformation, and adversarial attacks.

🛰️ Critical Infrastructure, Space, Satellite & IoT Security: Enhancing resilience and trust in cyber-physical and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems.

⚙️ Cybersecurity Capability, Policy & Regulation: Informing policy frameworks that strengthen national digital security and workforce capability.

Nalin’s interdisciplinary research has led to high-impact outcomes — including improving the OWASP Enterprise Security API (ESAPI 2.2.1.0), enabling developers worldwide to build more secure applications. He has presented his research at Facebook Headquarters (Menlo Park, USA), collaborated with HP Labs (Bristol, UK), and his work has featured widely across national and international media (ABC TV, ABC News Radio, Sky News Australia, TVNZ 1 News, Guardian Labs, and 10 News TV Australia).

Leadership & Engagement:

A recognised thought leader in human-centred cybersecurity, Nalin has served on program committees for the world’s premier security and privacy venues, including:

ACM CCS (2022–2024), ACM AsiaCCS (2023–2024), USEC (2025-2026), USENIX SOUPS (2018–2026), ACM CSCW(Associate Chair 2019–2024), ACM FAccT 2022, and EASE 2019.
He has also contributed as Karat Award Chair (SOUPS 2021), SOUPS Mentor (2020), and ACM CSCW Awards Committee Member (2023) — reflecting his sustained global leadership in usable security and privacy research.

Academic Pathway & Mentorship:

Nalin holds a PhD in Cyber Security from Brunel University London, where he developed a game-based learning framework to teach users how to defend against phishing attacks. He also earned an MSc in Information Management and Security (University of Bedfordshire, UK) and a BSc (Hons) in Management Information Systems from University College Dublin, Ireland.

He is a Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) and has extensive international teaching experience across leading universities in the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Dr Arachchilage actively supervises PhD, Master’s, and Honours students at RMIT University.
Prospective students or collaborators interested in cybersecurity, privacy, AI security, or human-centred cyber research are warmly encouraged to contact him at nalin.arachchilage@rmit.edu.au.

Associate Professor. Current Projects:

Founding Director | Building AI Vision Group |  Artificial Intelligence in Architecture, Construction and Built Environment (2025- )

Guest Editor: Buildings: Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Construction Risk Management. Buildings AI

Regional Editor for Facilities, Emerald Publishing Group (2010- )  

Creative Director and Curator at The 2026 World Sustainable Built Environment (WSBE26), Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne Australia (June 2026). 

Visiting Professor at Politecnico di Milano and UNESCO Chair in Mantova (2012- )

Guest Lecturer at the Master in Landscape Architecture, SLU Malmo, Sweeden (2020- )

Forthcomming Solo Art Exhbition at Gasworks Arts Park, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia (June 2026).

Forthcomming Solo Art Exhibition at Grist Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia  (2026).

Recent:

Solo exhibition at Highlight Art: NeoEden60: Garden Cities. Singapre (9th July to 9th August, 2025).   HIGHLIGHT

Solo exhibition at the UNESCO Architecture HQ Tratti Sfumati: Cities in Transformation. Mantova, Italy. (October 2024).  Tratti Sfumati

Solo Exhibition at Gasworks Arts Park: La Citta Ideasle 2033. Albert Pak, Melbourne, Australia (May 2024). Angela Roberts-Bird Gallery  

Conference Publication: AUBEA, Canberra. November 2025

Guillermo is an Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University 

Since 2010 he has served as Visiting Professor to Politecnico di Milano and the UNESCO Architecture Chair in Mantova (2013-2025). 

The biger picture:

I LOVE Architecture, Cities and Urban Life. I have lived and worked across 4 continents and have bee consulting and teaching in Melbourne and Singapore (RMIT-SIM) for over 20 years. Italy for over 15 years (UNESCO), The Netherlands (TU Twente and TU Delft) and Hong Kong (RMIT-IVE) for over 10 years and have published over 100 academic papers and technical reports in areas of architecture, building information modelling, construction management and digital visualisation of future cities. I am currently looking into Artificial Intelligence Vision in Architecture, Construction and Asset Managment (Building Sight, funded project).

In my work and research I looked at future cities, building innovation and adaptive-reuse/heritage and asset managment for over 30 years (my first project through ICOMOS 1995). My design practice informs research and research informs practice. My teaching is informed by both, industry and academia. I have been external advisor on small, medium and large-scale design and construction firms in Australia, Europe and Asia. Other roles over my professional life:

• Sconded Academic to FHNW and ETH in Zurich in Switzerland where I was teaching and advising to one of the first graduate programs in Building Information Modelling (2011-2012).
• Junior Architecture in Design and Build projects in the Americas (Trafalgar House Constrcution).
• I was the first Scholar to complete the Standford Certificate in Virtual Design for Construction (VDC) under the supervision of Prof. Martin Fischer (2009-2010).
• Project Manager, Researcher and Co-Author of the Australian National Guideline for Building Information Modelling (2008).

PhD in Construction Management, The University of Reading, United Kingdom (1996–2003).

Masters of Science in European Construction Engineering, Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico (1992-1995)

Graduate Diploma in Arts and Architecture. Master of Heritage in Seville, Spain at Escuela Superior de Arquitectura (1995–1996).

Internationally, Guillermo has continued an active design and research agenda with the UNESCO, Stanford University, TU Delft, TU Twente, The National University of Singapore, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, ETH and the Politecnico di Milano.

Specialties:

Visual Arts

Creative Direction 

Artufificial Intellignece Vision

Design for Circularity

Sustainable Architecture

Precinct and City Planning

Construction Innovation

Heritage and Adaptive Reuse

GenAI-BIM. 

Format:
- Design Studios

- Briefing Workshops 
- Value Management
- Participatory Design

- Stakeholder Managment 

Techniques:
- Mind-mapping

- Hand drawing

- Architecture: BIM (Building Information Modelling)
- Design/Construction Process: VDC (Virtual Design and Construction)
- Planning: GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Accomplishments:

• I have taught over 10,000 students over professional life.

 
- 2013 Awarded Senior Research Fellowship at the Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.
- 2012–2013 Awarded Visiting Professorship at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland.
- 2012 Awarded Australian Citizenship. Scored 100% at the official test.
- 2010 Awarded Australian Permanent Residency under the Distinguished Talent category (29 April 2010).
- 2010 Awarded Golden Key Honorary Membership by Professor Margaret Gardner, Vice-Chancellor of RMIT.
- 2008 Awarded Scholarship to Stanford University (awarded by the ‘Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation’) to undertake the Certificate Program in “Virtual Design and Construction” under the supervision of Professor Martin Fischer (2008–2010).
- 2007 Awarded RMIT Emerging Researcher Grant by RMIT University.
- 2006 Appointed Conjoint Academicto the School of Architecture, University of Newcastle, Australia.
- 2006 Awarded ‘Sigma Lambda Chi Society’Honorary Membership. Awarded by SLCS Melbourne Chapter.
- 1997 Awarded ‘PhD Endowment Trust Fund’from The University of Reading, United Kingdom.

Undergraduate:
- BUIL1154 Advanced Construction – Strategic Planning, Design and Management
- BUIL1215 Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio
- BUIL1256 Construction Planning and Design – Building Information Modelling Studio Post Graduate
- BUIL1005 Building Systems – Sustainable Architecture & Building Studio
- PHIL1008 Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio Singapore
- BUIL1213: Advanced Construction – Strategic Planning, Design and Management
- BUIL1222: Research Project – Sustainable Architecture Studio

2003–2009 Applied Research Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation including: Development of the Australian National Guidelines for Digital Modelling.

I LOVE Architecture, Cities and Urban Life. I have lived and worked across 4 continents and have bee consulting and teaching in Melbourne and Singapore (RMIT-SIM) for over 20 years. Italy for over 15 years (UNESCO), The Netherlands (TU Twente and TU Delft) and Hong Kong (RMIT-IVE) for over 10 years and have published over 100 academic papers and technical reports in areas of architecture, building information modelling, construction management and digital visualisation of future cities. I am currently looking into Artificial Intelligence Vision in Architecture, Construction and Asset Managment (Building Sight, funded project).

In my work and research I looked at future cities, building innovation and adaptive-reuse/heritage and asset managment for over 30 years (my first project through ICOMOS 1995). My design practice informs research and research informs practice. My teaching is informed by both, industry and academia. I have been external advisor on small, medium and large-scale design and construction firms in Australia, Europe and Asia. Other roles over my professional life:

• Visiting Academic at FHNW and ETH in Zurich in Switzerland where I was teaching and advising to one of the first graduate programs in Building Information Modelling (2011-2012).
• Junior Architecture in Design and Build projects in the Americas (Trafalgar House Constrcution).
• I was the first Scholar to complete the Standford Certificate in Virtual Design for Construction (VDC) under the supervision of Prof. Martin Fischer (2009-2010).
• Project Manager, Researcher and Co-Author of the Australian National Guideline for Building Information Modelling (2008).

PhD in Construction Management, The University of Reading, United Kingdom (1996–2003).

Masters of Science in European Construction Engineering, Loughborough University of Technology, United Kingdom.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico (1992-1995)

Graduate Diploma in Arts and Architecture. Master of Heritage in Seville, Spain at Escuela Superior de Arquitectura (1995–1996).

Internationally, Guillermo has continued an active design and research agenda with the UNESCO, Stanford University, TU Delft, TU Twente, The National University of Singapore, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, ETH and the Politecnico di Milano.

Associate Professor Kevin Argus

Department of Marketing

School of Eonomics, Finance & Marketing, RMIT University

Biography

Associate Professor Kevin Argus is a driving force in circular economy, leading RMIT's interdisciplinary efforts for sustainability as Co-Chair of the RMIT Circular Economy Hub and Lead of a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Food Waste Reduce Grant Project. The Hub enables interdisciplinary research grant collaboration and HDR supervision across the University. Kevin also Chairs the Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group (Leadership and Governance) for the College and is the MBA Program Director (2022-2025).

Innovating Collaboratively for Food Waste Reduction

Enabling collaborative innovation for food waste reduction, Kevin collaborates with industry leaders, including a technology entrepreneur and major retailers. Their research focuses on optimising technology to connect consumers with discounted, soon-to-expire food, creating sustainable social, environmental, and financial value for both retailers and consumers. Other cross-disciplinary projects include exploring viable products from cellulose recover from waste water and an exploratory project addressing the feasibility of floating housing through a regenerative lens.

Bridging Sustainability Gaps for Real-World Impact

Kevin’s practical impact is underscored by an industry sponsored Social Procurement Partnership Award in the construction sector. He was a 2024 finalist for Outstanding Leadership in Engagement in the national Engagement Australia Excellence Awards for social and environmental impact. Additionally, his co-supervision of the 2023 RMIT Vice Chancellor's HDR Research Impact Award recipient contributed to five high-impact publications integrating sustainability with circular economy principles.

Disseminating Knowledge for Global Impact

Recipient of the 2023 RMIT Rising Media Star Award and the college 2023 Global Engagement Award, Kevin is recognised for disseminating impactful knowledge through diverse media. This showcases his commitment to sustainable futures with a broad national and international reach, emphasising his passion for bridging gaps between academia and industry.

Awards

2024 Finalist in Australia Excellence Awards (National Award)

2023 Recipient of inaugural International Engagement Award (College of Business and Law)

2023 Recipient of Rising Media Star Award (RMIT Award)

2022 Social Traders Game Changer Award via Shared Value Partnership with Ability Works Australia, Aurecon, Transurban, Apricot Consulting, RMIT

2020 Social Traders Social Procurement Partnership of the Year Award with Ability Works Australia, Aurecon, Transurban, Apricot Consulting, RMIT

Leadership Roles

1. Co-Chair of RMIT Circular Economy Hub 2023 - Present
2. MBA Program Director 2022-2025
3. Lead of CRC Food Waste - Reduce Grant Project 2023-25
4. Chair of College Gender Equity & Inclusion Reference Group - Leadership and Governance 2022-25

Description of Leadership Roles

1. Co-Chair, RMIT Circular Economy Hub 2023 - Present

• • Position: Co-Chair, RMIT Circular Economy Hub
  • Description: The Circular Economy Hub (CEH) is a cross-disciplinary, industry-engaged network of RMIT experts working on cutting-edge and innovative circular economy research across Australia and internationally. The RMIT Circular Economy Hub fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration, promoting holistic and systemic research partnerships focusing on empirical outcomes. This enhances the University's influence and proficiency in the circular economy domain. Additionally, it aids in the development of a new platform for capability building, encompassing micro-credentials, executive training, and vocational and higher education outcomes. Learn more

2. Former MBA Program Director 2022-2025

• Position: MBA Program Director (all modes) MBA Program Manager for Melbourne City Campus and RMIT Online.
• Description: MBA Program Director for the MBA Programs taught in multiple modes and locations across Melbourne City, RMIT Online, and Vietnam.

3. Lead, End Food Waste CRC - Reduce Stream - Gander Retail Project (2023-2025)

• Position: Lead, End Food Waste CRC - Reduce Stream - Gander Retail Project
• Description: Conducts action research with Retail Partner Gander Retail, Metcash, and selected IGA Supermarket partners to research the impact of technology, gamification, food waste reduction, and consumer behaviour.

4. Chair, Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group - Leadership and Governance (2023-2025)

• Position: Chair, Gender Equity Diversity and Inclusion Reference Group - Leadership and Governance
• Description: Leads College, School representatives in design, development and implementation of a Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Framework to guide policy implmentation (implemented for the Research Active Status Policy).

Education

PhD Marketing, Monash University, 2011

Masters of Management, Monash University, 2002

Masters of Marketing, Monash Univeristy, 2001

BBus Acctg, Swinburne University, pre 2000

Contact

__________

Dr Kevin Argus

Associate Professor, Marketing (School of Management)

MBA Program Director

Department of Business Administration

School of Economics, Finance & Marketing

RMIT Building 80 (Level 9), 435-457 Swanston Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Phone: +61 419 889 465 or (03) 9925 1457

Email: kevin.argus@rmit.edu.au

____________________________

Sefa Awaworyi Churchill holds the RMIT Distinguished Professor tile. He is Co-Director for the RMIT Centre for African Engagement and Director for the RMIT Centre for International Development. He is an internationally recognised applied economist whose research and leadership advance the sustainable development goals in various ways. His scholarship is inter-disciplinary and focuses on development economics, energy and environmental economics, health economics and behavioural economics. He is a Stanford/Elsevier top-cited researcher, ranked in the top 2% of researchers worldwide for five consecutive years (2021 to 2025), and has published over 160 academic works in prominent journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Research Policy, Journal of Economics Behavior & Organization, Energy Economics, Social Science & Medicine, and World Development, among others. In 2020 and 2021, he was named by The Australian among Australia’s top 40 young researchers and top 5 in the broad field of social science. RePEc also ranks him among the top 5 economists in Australia over the last decade.

Sefa has been the recipient of a number of prestigious academic research awards including the Australian Research Council (ARC) DECRA and an Endeavour Fellowship Award, a government scheme which allows Australia’s highest performing researchers to conduct research in alignment with the government’s strategic priorities. His research has garnered over $5.6 million in competitive funding, including grants from the ARC, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, and Plan International. His work has shaped international policy conversations and guided actionable change for marginalised communities, and he remains committed to addressing pressing social and economic challenges. He actively collaborates with academic, government, and international organisations including the United Nations, the Australian Government, Indian Government and Asian Development Bank. He is committed to promoting evidence-based policy and building lasting partnerships for sustainable and equitable development.

Sefa regularly contributes as a visiting scholar both within Australia and internationally, most recently as a Resident Fellow/Scholar at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research. He previously worked with Princeton University as a Fung Global Fellow, contributing to policy-relevant research on sustainable futures. As an award-winning educator, Sefa brings a capacity-building ethos to his teaching and mentoring, supporting the next generation of researchers and thought leaders across diverse backgrounds.

Sefa received his doctorate in economics from Monash University. He holds masters degrees in educational leadership (Melbourne), public health (UNSW), construction management (Melbourne), health leadership and management (UNSW), business and financial economics (Greenwich, UK) and a BSc (Hons) in mathematics (KNUST, Ghana) and BPsych (Hons) (JCU). He serves as an Associate Editor for Energy Economics (ABDC A*/Q1) and Energy Research and Social Science (Q1), which are two leading field journals.

My vision is to help build a more inclusive society where everyone, regardless of circumstance, is empowered to flourish.

As Director of the Social Equity Research Centre at RMIT University, I lead a large, high-performing interdisciplinary research team committed to understanding and redressing inequities through social justice. My research focuses on the built environment, health, wellbeing, and inequity—both in Australia and internationally—particularly among populations disadvantaged by systemic barriers or inadequate policies. My current major themes include enhancing the social determinants of health for people with disability and reducing inequities in early childhood development.

My career has been driven by a commitment to real-world impact, collaborating extensively with policymakers, government, and non-government organisations to translate research into positive change. I earned my PhD in public health researching the associations between the built environment and adult travel behaviours. Since then, I have held research and research leadership roles internationally, published over 180 articles in leading interdisciplinary journals, and secured more than $24M in competitive research funding.

I am privileged to have received over 40 national and international awards and prizes, and to contribute as an Associate Editor for Health & Place amongst other editorial appointments. Recognised as the inaugural Australian Health Promotion Thinker in Residence, a Salzburg Global Fellow, and among the Top 2% of Scientists worldwide, I am currently an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. My ongoing focus is on leading and enabling innovative, collaborative research that breaks new ground on social equity and improves lives.

Jessica Balanzategui is Associate Professor in Media and Cinema in the School of Media and Communication. She is an Australian Research Council (ARC) Industry Fellow researching young people's streaming media cultures and industries, and she leads an ARC Discovery Project on how children and young people engage with 'gamble-play' media. Jessica is founding lead of the RMIT-based, multi-institutional Streaming Industries and Genres Network (SIGN). She is Founding and Chief Editor of Amsterdam University Press's book series, Horror and Gothic Media Cultures.

Jessica's research on the interface between technological and industrial transformation and entertainment cultures has been widely published in the leading international journals in her field, including New Media and Society, Convergence, The Journal of Visual Culture, Television and New Media, Celebrity Studies, International Journal of Cultural Studies, and The Journal of Cinema and Media Studies.

Jessica's speciality is the intersection between screen cultures and technological and industrial transformation, currently focusing on streaming media and platforms. A longstanding focus of Jessica's research is screen genres for and about children - particularly those that trouble expectations and definitions of "child appropriateness" - and challenging or controversial genres like horror, crime, and the Gothic. As part of these areas of specialty, her research illuminates how genre, storytelling, and aesthetics operate in digital cultures, such as video sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok, subscription video on demand services like Netflix and other streaming video services, and online scary storytelling cultures. In tandem, Jessica researches the impacts of technological, industrial, and cultural change on screen genres and their audiences, including child audiences.

Her research has contributed to Parliamentary Inquiries and other policy consultations, and the industry strategies of national arts, culture and media organisations. She often curates and leads public events in partnership with organisations such as the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

Her ARC Fellowship project, "Enhancing Discoverability of Australian Children's TV in the Streaming Era", examines how children and young people use streaming video platforms to access entertainment content. The research is designed to inform new industry, policy and cultural solutions to improve young people's access to quality, local and age-appropriate screen content in the streaming era. The work is conducted in partnership with the Australian Children's Television Foundation and the Australian Centre of the Moving Image.

Her ARC Discovery project, "Understanding Children’s Mobile Gamble-Play Cultures: Gateways to Gambling", aims to minimize the harms involved in children's access to gambling by developing an understanding of how Australian children use mobile phones to engage in "gamble-play". It will generate a new evidence base to inform evolving regulation around children and gambling, and to improve child and parent literacies about the ways mobile media content introduces children to gambling-like play behaviours.

Jessica is the author or co-editor of 5 books, including: 

-Netflix, Dark Fantastic Genres and Intergenerational Viewing: Family Watch Together TV (with Baker and Sandars, Routledge 2023)

-Monstrous Beings and Media Cultures: Folk Monsters, Im/materiality and Regionality (with Craven, Amsterdam UP, 2023)

-The Uncanny Child in Transnational Cinema: Ghosts of Futurity at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century (Amsterdam University Press, 2018): freely available online via OAPEN after being selected for open-access publication by the "Knowledge Unlatched Select" scheme.

Jessica's other grant-supported interdisciplinary projects include:

- a partnership with the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art to cultivate new public understandings of and experiences with the horror genre by staging an experimental multi-site public program

- a project on the futures of cinema exhibition with Village Roadshow that considered the rise of the immersive entertainment experience and entertainment destination

- an examination of how digital technologies are reshaping how children play combining perspectives from media and child development studies.

Jessica welcomes applications from prospective PhD students in cinema and screen, digital cultures, and childhood studies.

Industry Experience:

Lead Organiser/Chief Investigator with ACCA - "Screams on Screen" multi-site public programs (2024) 
Chief Investigator - Australian Children's Television Cultures (funded by ACTF, 2021-24)
Chief Investigator - Scene Hunter and Film Language, New Technology (funded by Village Roadshow)
Regular popular culture critic and film/TV reviewer - ABC
Lead Organiser - Mapping Global Horror: Australia, Japan & beyond, ACMI 

Research awards include:

The Australian Film Institute Research Collection Fellowship, 2020 

Outstanding Researcher (Early Career), Swinburne University of Technology, 2019

Dean's Award for Emerging Researcher, Swinburne University of Technology, 2018

OAPEN/Knowledge Unlatched Select Open Access Publication Award for The Uncanny Child in Transnational Cinema, 2018

Teaching awards include:

Australian Awards for University Teaching Excellence Citation, Australian Awards for University Teaching (2021)

Adobe Teaching Innovation Grant, "Making Media that Thinks", RMIT University (2023)

Adobe Teaching Innovation Grant: Learning By Doing,Digital Paratexts, Swinburne Univeristy of Technology (2022)

Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, Swinburne University of Technology (2021)

Faculty of Health, Arts, and Design Teaching Excellence Award, Swinburne University of Technology (2020)