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. Rusaila Bazlamit is a digital designer, researcher, and educator working at the intersection of design activism, immersive technologies, and media representation. She is currently a lecturer in Digital Design at RMIT University, with teaching experience across architecture, design, and digital media disciplines in both Jordan and Australia. Her research explores how digital and interactive media, especially XR and game design technologies, can be used to create meaningful spatial and virtual experiences. She is particularly interested in how creative practice can foster inclusive environments, challenge dominant narratives, and support the representation of under-represented and displaced communities.

Alongside her academic work, Rusaila leads Lab Tajribi | Experimental Expressions, a creative practice exploring storytelling through interactive installations, video, and spatial media. Drawing on her Palestinian and Macedonian heritage and lived experience as a migrant to Naarm (Melbourne), her practice is grounded in decolonial frameworks, spatial justice, and the aesthetics of resistance. She works across digital heritage, affective immersion, and experimental museology to reimagine how stories of place, identity, and memory can be shared. Her practice-led research continues to evolve through deep experimentation with tools, platforms, and modes of expression that centre critical pedagogy and cultural survival.

Dr. Ollie (Olivier) Cotsaftis is a researcher-practitioner in the School of Design at RMIT University. His work operates at the intersection of design and futures, engaging living systems, critical ecologies, and material entanglements to advance regenerative transitions through material-driven and participatory design. He has published in leading journals such as Design Studies and exhibited at the Science Gallery Melbourne, the MPavilion and the National Gallery of Victoria. Before joining RMIT, he was a design lead at Fjord and founded future ensemble studio. He is currently Co-Program Manager of the Master of Design Innovation and Technology, Network Co-Lead and Design and Architecture Lead for the RMIT Nature Positive Network, Editorial Board Member of Biotechnology Design, and co-founder of the material futures studio neomatter.

Wil's passion is working with people... his forte, is finding solutions to complex design challenges and ensuring good ideas become exceptional design outcomes.

He is a seasoned designer with over two decades of design industry experience, ranging from traditional consultancy and in-house staff design, through to freelance, and consulting in transdisciplinary environments. Wil has worked on projects across a broad spectrum of industries, including medical, high-end electronics, industrial equipment, branding, entertainment, wayfinding/signage, film and now settling into a nurturing role for tomorrows talent.

Dr. Dunbar is a Lecturer in RMIT’s School of Design and an emerging researcher, specializing in interaction and service design for regenerative futures. He co-leads the Greater Melbourne City Portrait with Regen Melbourne, supporting progress toward a safe social and ecological space. He researches more-than-human datasets, challenging degenerative data practices that reduce nonhumans to resources. A designer for 15 years, Dunbar has focused on digital public tools for education and urban decision-making. At .id the Population Experts, he launched Australia’s first Housing Monitor, helping local governments track housing affordability. He teaches in the Master of Communication Design, leading Service Design and the Work Integrated Learning program. His teaching fosters mastery, autonomy, and engagement through collaboration, reflection, and creativity. 

Frank Feltham is an Industrial design practitioner, researcher and educator with 20 years of experience in commercial projects and 25 years in research, learning, and teaching. His career includes exhibition design for Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Audi, packaging design for Amcor Australia, and furniture and systems design with Profile Furniture.

Holding a PhD from the Design Lab at the University of Sydney, Frank’s research focuses on the design of assistive technologies for movement rehabilitation and healthcare. In collaboration with Biomedical Engineering at RMIT, he integrates wearable sensing, health and movement-based design, and tangible interaction and products to create innovative, user-centered solutions. His expertise extends to interaction with sound and products and personal informatics and data visualization, enhancing accessibility and engagement.

Frank has also led teaching collaborations with Philips Design, Grimshaw Architects, and Humanscale in office ergonomics and product design, shaping the next generation of designers through industry-driven learning experiences.

Dr. Lauren Ferro is a Lecturer in the School of Design at RMIT University, Australia and she directs the User-Centred Cyber and AI (UCCAI) Lab in the Centre of Digital Ecosystems (CODE).

She is a researcher specialising in Human-Centred Design, with broad expertise in User Experience (UX), Interaction Design (including games), Extended Reality (XR), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and the human factors of cybersecurity. Her research investigates how users interact with systems across physical and digital environments, aiming to enhance usability, engagement, and decision-making through evidence-based behavioural and design methodologies.

Her work spans themes such as player and user experience, behavioural design, human-in-the-loop and human-out-of-the-loop systems, instructional design, and user profiling and modelling. I approach these areas through interdisciplinary methods that blend psychology, technology, and interaction science to explore how systems can be more adaptive, secure, and user-aware.

Dr Caroline Francis is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Design, RMIT University. She supports teaching, research, and industry engagements. She coordinates industry scholarships and overseas partnership for the Industrial Design discipline. A Chief Investigator for the End Food Waste CRC and other people and planet research projects held under the School of Design, Caroline's research focuses on design research-led industry innovations and their impact on Australia and abroad.  
 
Caroline works in consumer products, consumer trust, packaging innovation, waste reduction and value-add, design pedagogy, self healthcare, cross-cultural studies, qualitative and quantitative data research, and design for sustainability. Previously, Caroline was the Associate Dean (Interim) of Industrial Design (2024-2025) and the Program Manager of Industrial Design (2021-2024) shaping the Industrial Design discipline.
 
Caroline contributes to the newly established Australian and New Zealand, Design and Engineering Network (ANDEN). She has established an international collaboration with the Scholarship Program for Overseas Study in Arts and Design (SPOSAD) held by the Taiwan Ministry of Education (MOE). She is exceptionally proud of the newly expanded Paul and Ian Howard Memorial Scholarship that supports a student each from the RMIT disciplines: Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Architecture to travel internationally to gain experience at design workshops, exhibitions, events, and to grow their global design networks.

Industry experience:
Before commencing her PhD on culturally perceived design variables strengthening consumer trust at the University of Melbourne, she was Capability Development Manager for the Food Innovation Centre of Excellence, an initiative co-founded by Mondelez and the Victorian Government. She has provided design thinking training workshops in collaboration with CSIRO, Food Innovation Australia Ltd, AsiaLink, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP), Victorian Agribusiness, Meat Livestock Australia, Mondelez Australia, and the University of Melbourne. She has consulted many local and international clients on new product development projects and supported numerous patents.

Awards:

2024 DSC Research Engagement & Impact (Team) Award
2024 National Food Waste Summit, Collaboration Action Award Winner
2024 National Food Waste Summit, Researcher Action Award Finalist
2022 RMIT Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award of Excellence
2022 ACUADS Teaching Excellence Award
2021-22 RMIT School of Design Peer Awards: Leadership, Collegiality, Citizenship, and Teaching
2002 SYDNEY OBJECT Design Award Finalist
2001 DIA QLD Best Emerging Designer Award
2001 QUT Goldern Key Society Award (University top 3% GPA)
2001 Vice-Chancellors Honours List

Professor Stefan Greuter is a Professor (Digital Design) at RMIT University. An interaction designer, game designer, educator, and research leader, Stefan's work is at the forefront of interactive screen experiences. His research integrates game design, immersive technologies, and the creative application of emerging technology to develop effective solutions in serious games, simulations, and engaging user experiences.

In November 2025 he commenced as Deputy Director of the Centre for Digital Ecosystems (CODE) in the School of Design. CODE designs complex interactive simulations that support natural, cultural and social ecosystems. Its research spans system complexities, dynamic interfaces, hybrid environments, cultural practices and emerging economies, with teams working closely with industry, community and policy partners. In this role Stefan works with the Centre Director, Professor Deb Polson, to advance CODE’s interdisciplinary research agenda, strengthen strategic partnerships across cultural, scientific, government and industry domains, and support projects that contribute to environmental, cultural and societal regeneration.

Stefan's research brings together interaction design, game design, immersive screen experiences, and technology to develop solutions that result in serious game applications and playable user experiences.

For over two decades, Stefan has been active in the field, leading research into interactive digital media, virtual and augmented reality, and motion capture. He was the founding Director of the Centre for Game Design Research (CGDR) at RMIT University from 2014-2017, and later directed the Deakin Motion Lab (DML) from 2020, an industry-facing interdisciplinary research community focused on digital screen experiences, where his leadership generated significant research income. His work translates into real-world impact, exemplified by the HYDAC multi-user mobile mixed-reality training platform and the digital transformation of the Malthouse Theatre's 'Because the Night' performance into an interactive experience.

Stefan has demonstrated effective academic leadership, serving a six-year tenure as Associate Dean at RMIT University, where he managed five Animation, Games, and Digital Media programs and co-designed the popular Bachelor of Design (Digital Media). He is a Review Editor for the Frontier Journal, a Steering Committee Member for the CHI Play Conference, and an ARC Detailed Assessor for various Australian Research Council grants. He is also a keynote speaker on topics such as "Designing virtual user experiences that shape real-world actions" and "Immersive, Playable Experiences and Their Real-world Impact."

Stephanie Harkin is a Lecturer in RMIT's Games Program. She researches feminine gaming cultures and digital histories and is a board member of the Digital Games Research Association Australia (DiGRAA). 

Stephanie's research is interdisciplinary and archival, and has involved collaboration with preservation initiatives and institutions including the National Film and Sound Archive (NSFA), the Play it Again Project, and the AUS EaaSI (Emulation as a Service Infrastructure) network. She is author of the monograph Girlhood Games: Gender, Identity, and Coming of Age in Video Games (De Gruyter, 2025) and has published in journals including Feminist Media Studies, Game Studies, Games & Culture, Girlhood Studies, and Journal of Femininities. She is the lead curator for Feminine Play, an exhibition that celebrates femininity and subverts gendered traditions. Her research philosophy is steered towards accounting for the unaccounted.

I am a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at RMIT University and an adjunct Researcher at the Empathic Computing Lab led by Prof Mark Billinghurst at the University of South Australia. My research focuses on using Mixed Reality to superpower human abilities, e.g. how to use different modalities to improve cross-reality collaboration, how to augment social interactions in in-situ environments, and how to utilise biosignals and behaviours to support human-AI empathy.

Based in Melbourne (current) /Seattle (home), my user-driven approaches are derived from years of the customer-focused tech industry (as a content manager and product designer) and academic (as a research scientist intern) experience. Previously, I have worked with Meta Reality Labs (Research), Microsoft, Xbox, Amazon, startups, NGOs, and research centres in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

I am looking for MR-related research collaboration/funding/projects in both academia and industry.

Dr. Rohit Ashok Khot is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Design at RMIT University, Australia and he directs the HAFP (pronounced as HAPPY) Research Lab.

Rohit is a leading researcher of international repute in the dynamic field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), particularly distinguishing himself as a pioneer in the rapidly evolving realm of Human-Food Interaction (HFI). His innovative contributions not only challenge established norms but also spearhead a paradigm shift in the traditional approach to designing technology for food and well-being. With a visionary perspective, Dr. Khot continually reshapes the realm of possibilities, envisioning intricate technological masterpieces that seamlessly integrate the worlds of play and multisensory experiences within the context of food.

To date, Dr. Khot has authored 89 scholarly articles in esteemed international conferences and journals, including books on "Human-Food Interaction" and "Exertion Games," accumulating 2231 citations and boasting an h-index of 28. He has earned multiple best paper awards and holds the 16th position in SciVal's ranking of leading HCI researchers and the 12th in Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design in Australia over the past decade.

Beyond numerical metrics, Dr. Khot's transformative impact extends to the tangible establishment and leadership of the Hearty Adventures in Food and Play (HAFP) Research Lab at RMIT. The lab, under his directorship since 2020, has emerged as a hub for inventive and unconventional design thinking. It not only responds uniquely to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to food but also provokes new ideas and inspirations for technology-mediated food futures. Since its inception, the lab has produced an impressive 25 research outputs, witnessed the completion of a significant PhD project, and achieved three shortlistings for the prestigious Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Dr. Khot's pioneering research is not confined to academic circles; it extends globally through prestigious exhibitions, conferences, and technology fairs and has resonated with end-users. Featured in renowned media outlets such as Mashable, Design Boom, IEEE Spectrum, and ABC, Dr. Khot's research has garnered widespread attention, with a notable interview by Herald Sun for their "Future Victoria" series.

His research performance has earned him several national and international awards, including the prestigious Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) in 2019, the RMIT Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2017, and the RMIT Prize for Research Excellence in the ECR (Design) category in 2020. Further acclaim includes the RMIT Prize for Research Excellence (HDR) in 2017 and the Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2023. In 2022, Dr. Khot also received the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Award (Honourable Mention) in Human-Computer Interaction from AMiner.org. These recognitions underscore his sustained research excellence in the field of HCI.

His expertise has also translated into prestigious leadership roles for Tier-1 HCI conferences. In 2022, he chaired the technical program for ACM DIS 2022, overseeing 700+ submissions, coordinating 96 associate chairs, and steering the final program to success. Dr. Khot's influential reach extends through over 10 invited talks at universities, research labs, and industry events. As the keynote speaker for the MobileHCI 2022 workshop and a panellist on topics like “how to run games lab” and “interactive food in the hospitality industry,” his impact reaches diverse audiences.

In addition to his significant research and leadership roles, Dr. Khot is deeply committed to mentorship, evident in the success stories of his students. Recent PhD graduates under his guidance have secured prestigious postdoctoral fellowships at Monash University and the University of Edinburgh, with one winning the MDPI Best PhD Thesis award in 2022.

Dr. Kimmi Ko is an accomplished educator, researcher, and designer with extensive expertise in human-centered design, innovation strategy, and design for social and systemic impact. Her academic and professional pursuits are grounded in advancing the role of design in health, wellbeing and quality of life, sustainable development, social impact, and design pedagogy.

Dr. Ko holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design, a Master of Design, and a Master of Philosophy from the University of New South Wales. She further expanded her expertise in Product-Service System Design through postgraduate study at Politecnico di Milano as part of her master’s degree and earned her PhD from The University of Queensland, where her research focused on applying design innovation to the development of life-saving medical technologies—specifically, digital interventions in Ventricular Assist Devices.

Her scholarly contributions have been published in high-impact journals and received international recognition. She was awarded the Y Nose International Fellowship, becoming the first designer to be honoured by the 65th American Society of Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO). She also received a Program Award at ASAIO’s annual conference in San Francisco and a Dissemination Award from the University of Sydney. Her doctoral work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre for Research Excellence (CRE) in Advanced Cardio-respiratory Therapies Improving Organ Support (ACTIONS).

Dr. Ko brings over two decades of professional experience across diverse sectors, including government, telecommunications, IT, finance, and automotive. Her work spans physical, digital, and service design, with a consistent focus on improving user experience and delivering measurable outcomes. She was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Architecture, The University of Queensland, she contributes to several interdisciplinary research initiatives, including the Intensive Care Unit of the Future, the Medical Research Future Fund Artificial Heart Frontier Program, the Australian Defence Force Learning Laboratory, and the SCC Chinchilla Illoura Aged Care Facility Project.

Previously, as Lead Service Experience Design Researcher at the NSW Department of Education, Dr. Ko led end-to-end design and research processes across complex, cross-functional projects. Her expertise in Agile (SCRUM) and Lean methodologies, coupled with a rigorous evidence-based approach, enabled her to drive innovation in public service design and deliver value-driven, user-centred outcomes.

Dr. Ko is also deeply committed to education and academic mentorship. She is passionate about fostering positive experiences for both students and supervisors, and she brings demonstrated experience and enthusiasm for teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her teaching philosophy is student-centred, with a strong emphasis on creating inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environments. She is particularly focused on promoting positive learning experiences and enhancing employability outcomes. Her strength lies in her ability to inspire and support students from diverse educational, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds, guided by a well-defined and reflective teaching practice.

Dr. Erica Kuligowski is an ARC Future Fellow and Principal Research Fellow in the School of Engineering at RMIT University studying evacuation and emergency communications in fire, flood, and other hazards.

With a PhD in Sociology and MS and BS degrees in Fire Engineering, she has led interdisciplinary research studies of human response to hazards and disasters to improve the safety of people in buildings and communities around the world. At RMIT, Dr. Kuligowski leads research projects studying how households protect themselves during disasters, and in the process, collects human response data using both traditional (surveys, interviews and focus groups) and newer techniques (social media messages, GPS-based mobile phone signals, and virtual reality experiments). She is also part of an international team developing evacuation software (i.e., the WUI-NITY simulation platform) to model evacuation from bushfire-prone communities. She joins RMIT University from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology's Engineering Laboratory where her research on evacuation and sheltering behaviour and emergency communications in disaster events, including building fire, severe weather, and bushfire, has received awards from the U.S. Government (Department of Commerce) and international fire engineering organisations. Dr. Kuligowski has written eight book chapters, 60 journal articles, and over 40 government agency reports, conference papers, trade journals articles, and media articles. Her work has led to the development of new or improved building codes and community standards, decision-making tools for disaster response such as evacuation models, and emergency alert/warning creation tools and templates.

Awards:

• 2025 RMIT Mid Career Researcher Award for Research Excellence
• 2025 NFPA’s Foundation Medal for the project: WUI-NITY 4: An Industry-Ready WUI Fire Evacuation Model (RMIT CIs: Erica Kuligowski, Emily Zhou, and Junfeng Wu (School of Computing Technology); Project Partners: Imperial College London, Lund University, GHD, National Research Council Canada, CSIRO, and Fire Protection Research Foundation); https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2025/jun/bushfire-simulation-award
• 2025 Natural Hazards Research Australia's Research Team Award: Predictions in Public Project (RMIT CIs: Erica Kuligowski and Amy Griffin (School of Science); Project Research Partners: QUT, Deakin, Swinburne, CFA, and Vic Dept of Ed)

• Member of a research team shortlisted as a finalist for the 2024 Resilient Australia National Research for Impact Award given out by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR), with QUT, Deakin, Swinburne, Victoria's Country Fire Authority, and the Victorian Department of Education
• Co-editor of a Special Issue for the Natural Hazards Review Journal that won the Applied Communication Division Distinguished Journal Special Issue Award from the U.S. National Communication Association (NCA), 2024
• 2023 Fire Technology’s Editor’s Choice Award  (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10694-023-01371-1)
• Veski Inspiring Women STEM sidebyside Program participant, 2023
• ARC Future Fellowship, 2023-2027
• Elsevier's Top 2% of scientists in the world for career long impact and Single year impact in 2021, 2022, 2023
• SFPE's Arthur B. Guise Medal, 2020, for the advancement of the science and technology of fire protection engineering
• University of Maryland, Fire Protection Engineering Department's Distinguished Alumni Award, 2020
• Harry C. Bigglestone Award – (with co-authors) for the paper entitled "Assessing the Verification and Validation of Building Fire Evacuation Models", 2017
• U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal Award - for outstanding leadership in developing the Community Resilience Planning Guide, 2016
• U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award - for the development, analysis, and dissemination of a building evacuation database to improve occupant safety during fire incidents, 2016
• Society of Fire Protection Engineer's Hat's Off Award – for contributing exemplary service to the Society, 2015
• 2015 Engineering Laboratory Communication Award – for an outstanding communication on the technical investigation of the 2011 Joplin, MO tornado (USA)
• U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award - for the study of building performance, warnings, and human behaviour in the investigation of the 2011 Joplin, MO tornado, 2014
• Harry C. Bigglestone Award – for the paper appearing in Fire Technology that best represents excellence in the communication of fire protection concepts, 2014
• U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award - for scientific and engineering achievement and technical support in conducting the World Trade Center disaster investigation, 2005
• U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award – for support in ensuring the accuracy and quality of the analysis, simulations, final report, and recommendations of the Station Nightclub Fire technical investigation, Rhode Island (USA), 2005
  
  Professional interests:
• Co-convenor of RMIT's Disaster Research Network (2023-present)
• WG Expert: ISO TC92 Fire Safety, SC4 Fire Safety Engineering, WG11 Behaviour and Movement of People (2023–present)
• Co-lead of RMIT's Centre for Urban Research (CUR) Climate Change Transformations Research Program (2021-2024)
• Co-Chair: International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) Working Group on Human Behaviour in Fires (2021-present)
• Board Member: Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Foundation's Board of Governors (2020-current)
• 2023 Program Scientific Committee Co-Chair of the 14th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science (Tsukuba, Japan) (2021-2023)
• WG Expert: ISO TC268 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SC1 Smart Community Infrastructure, WG6 Disaster Risk Reduction (2020-2023)
• Member and Task Group Chair: National Research Council Canada Technical Committee on the Development of a Guide/Code for Wildland-Urban -- Interface (WUI) fires (2018-2022)
• Member: NFPA 1600 (Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management) Technical Committee (2017-2020)
• Section Editor for the SFPE's Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering (5th Edition, 2015 & upcoming edition, 2023)
• Task Group Member, Co-author of the SFPE Guide to Human Behavior in Fire, 2019

Professor Simon Lockrey is a leading sustainability and design-based entrepreneur, board member, and academic, having been based at RMIT since 2009.

Starting at the trailblazing Centre for Design, he is now situated within the School of Design. 

The domains in which Professor Lockrey has managed research include life cycle assessment (LCA), co-design, design innovation, marketing, resource efficiency, flammable cladding, automotive history, and food waste. As a result, he has generated millions of dollars of 'industry facing' Category 1, 2, 3 and 4 research, creating global impact through policy changes, commercial outcomes, media coverage, quality academic publications, and hundreds of citations.

Professor Lockrey’s projects have required the deployment of sustainability strategy, tool development, and training for a range of industry partners. He has worked with global and nationally significant companies, including CHEP, Visy, Nestlé, Lendlease, Costa, Grocon and Breville. Relevant government and NGO projects have also ensued, with Sustainability Victoria, Australian Fresh Produce Alliance, Australian Food and Grocery Council, Australia Post, Australian Antarctic Division, Uniting AgeWell, and Meat and Livestock Australia.

Professor Lockrey works with partners in the UK, France, Sweden, Vietnam, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Antarctica, thereby fostering a global outlook and reach through his projects. He keynotes at and convenes international conferences; mentors young designers through to PhD candidates; and applies practical experience to design for sustainability projects engaging industry, not for profits, governments and wider community sectors. 

Professor Lockrey has been published on sustainability, design and innovation issues through international masthead newspapers, trade magazines, academic literature, and UN agency the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). His collaborations across industry and external universities have culminated in participation in the successful Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) bid in 2017, national supply chain and technology projects over 10 years from a pool of $210 million cash and in-kind funding. He is now a key leader in the 2018 funded End Food Waste CRC (EFW CRC), worth $121 million over 10 years. In 2021, he also took a further leadership role in the EFW CRC, as national leader of the REDUCE Program, a suite of reduction projects with industry aimed at halving Australian food waste by 2030. These involve over 50 industry partners, 12 research providers, and various government departments. Impacts of his leadership are evident in collective EFW CRC halfway impacts, estimated at 15 MT of FLW reduced, $2.7B in industry profitability, 20 MT of greenhouse gases saved, 14,000 people trained, and 3,400 circular economy jobs created.

On practice, Professor Lockrey's professional work has crossed a large range of industries including consultancies, leading commercial interior furniture manufacturers and multinational appliance companies. The products he has designed have been both 'short run' and 'mass produced', and his roles have covered all stages of the design process. Since 2000 he has worked on over 100 commercial design and engineering projects for organisations such as Cyclone, Dyson, Whirlpool, Sabco, Sorbent, Novatech Controls, Schiavello, and Henkel, which has resulted in the generation of many billions of dollars in income and Intellectual Property (IP). He served as Executive Director of global urban gardening brand Glowpear. Globally significant projects include the Dyson DC30/31 handheld vacuums (the first with digital motors, the V2), the DC39 cylinder cyclone vacuum cleaner (the first with a full ball barrel and integrated steering), and the Glowpear self watering planter range.

Professor Lockrey has also won many international design and innovation awards for his efforts, including 2015 IDEA Award finalist (Glowpear); 2014 Melbourne Design Award Gold recipient (Glowpear); Australian Design Award 2011, and Good Design recipient 2011, 2012 (Dyson) and 2015 (Glowpear); and Red Dot Award recipient 2010, and honourable mention 2012 (Dyson). Such work (the Dyson DC30/31) is held on permanent display at the Design Museum, London. In 2023 Professor Lockrey was a Good Design Award recipient for work at RMIT on a national strategy for the Australian Government on circular economy for the design industry. He was also a judge in the 2022 Good Design Awards, and is now a Good Design Australia Ambassador. 

Professor Lockrey’s professional work has led to his elevation to board level, as the former Executive Director of global urban gardening brand Glowpear (after starting as Marketing Director). He now also operates at a board level in the academic context, with a pro-bono executive board position as Secretary of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS), and is the past Vice President of the Automotive Historians Australia. He has executed similar duties to his work for Glowpear in terms of governance, risk, financial and strategic activities in these roles, albeit in a non-commercial environment.

Awards

2004 Peter Meggs Prize recipient (Swinburne University) - Best Product Design
2004 W Brown Medal nomination (Swinburne University) - Best 5th Year Engineering Results
2010 Red Dot Award recipient (Dyson)
2011 Australian Design Award and Good Design recipient (Dyson)
2012 Red Dot Award honorable mention (Dyson)
2012 Australian Good Design recipient (Dyson)
2014 Melbourne Design Awards gold recipient (Glowpear)
2014 House and Garden Style Award recipient (Glowpear)
2015 Australian Good Design recipient (Glowpear)
2015 IDEA Award finalist (Glowpear)
2023 Good Design Award recipient (RMIT)
2023 AFR Emerging Research Leader Award finalist (RMIT)
2024 Food Waste Action Collaboration Award recipient (RMIT)

2024 RMIT Research Engagement & Impact Award recipient

2024 RMIT College of DSC Research Engagement & Impact Award recipient

2025 RMIT Sustainability Award recipient

Research Projects:

Professor Lockrey's most recent research projects include:

• National date labelling and storage advice - Phase 1
  Funding – NSW EPA, SV, GISA, QDES and End Food Waste CRC, 2022-24
• Consumer fridge behaviour and waste reduction for red meat
  Funding – MLA and End Food Waste CRC, 2021-2023
• Meat supply chain waste mapping
  Funding – MLA and End Food Waste CRC, 2021–2022 
• Enabling design for environmental good
  Funding – Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, 2021–2022
• DIRECT Commercialisation 
  Funding – Empauer and End Food Waste CRC, 2019–2024
• Save Food Packaging Criteria and Framework 
  Funding – AIP and End Food Waste CRC, 2019–2024
• Consumer perceptions of the role of packaging in reducing food waste
  Funding – Woolworths, Sustainability Victoria and End Food WasteCRC, 2019–2022

Professor Lockrey's past research projects include:

• The role of packaging in Australian fresh food waste prevention and nutrition retention, Funding – Empauer and AFPA, 2018–2019 
• National food waste baseline, Funding – Arcadis, 2018
• RMIT Glass Repurposing R&D Grant Project, Funding – Sustainability Victoria, 2016–2018
• Sustainability issues of the supply chain, Funding – CHEP, 2016–2018
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the last frontier: quantifying the environmental impacts and environmental impact reduction strategy for Australia’s Antarctic infrastructure, Funding – AAD, 2013–2017
• Food waste reduction opportunities in the food manufacturing sector, Funding – Sustainability Victoria, 2013–2014
• Food waste insights in the home, Funding – Sustainability Victoria, 2013
• The role of packaging in minimising food waste in the supply chain of the future, Funding – CHEP, 2012–2013
• Environmental procurement decision making – Mapping industry decision making frameworks, Funding – RMIT College of Design and Social Context, 2012
• Future of Packaging White Paper, Funding – AFGC, 2011/2012
• MicroHeat Technologies Venture, Funding – MicroHeat Technologies, Partners – SAMME, Futuris, in association with Wood & Grieve, 2012–2013
•  Life-cycle Flows of Materials and Energy at Scott Base Antarctica, Funding – Antarctica New Zealand, 2011-2012
• Potential Opportunities for Increased Fuel Cell Deployment in Australia, Funding – Ceramic Fuel Cells, 2011
• LCA of Nestlé NESCAFÉ Gold Coffee Packaging, Funding – Nestlé, 2011
• LCA of Polymer Meat Trays, Funding – Lyondell Basell, 2011

Press:

Professor Lockrey's media highlight since 2021 was a MLA project he co-led on consumer refrigerator behaviours, which in 2023 featured in a remarkable 169 national/ global media articles, the top outlets being ABC, 3AW, Yahoo! News, The Guardian, and New York Post (US), engaging 91 million people and connected to $3.3 million equivalent in advertising space. 

Another project he co-leads on national date labelling and storage advice reform garnered 267 national/ global media articles in late 2024, the top outlets being Channel Seven News (4pm and 6pm bulletins nationally), Sunrise, Nine Radio, ABC Radio and MSN, whilst engaging 39.4 million people with the equivalent value of $1.5 million in advertising space. Further, in mid-2025, the same project attracted 453 media articles, reaching an estimated audience of 13.9 million people with an advertising equivalent value of about $495k. Mainstream highlights included: ABC News online, radio and TV, Australian Associated Press (syndicated to mastheads including The Canberra Times), 9 News, 7 News, SBS Digital, 2GB, 3AW, 6PR. The research was also covered in mid-2025 by industry publications, including: PKN Packaging News, Inside FMCG, Food & Drink Business, Retail World Magazine, What’s New in Food Technology & Manufacturing.

Further, since 2021 he appeared in, was quoted in, or wrote 22 media articles/ statements / interviews including 12 in top national or global newspaper/ radio outlets (i.e The Age, ABC, 3AW Radio National, The Guardian, etc).  These were (chronologically):

• Interviewed in 'Episode 2: Food Waste Mitigation with Dr Steve Lapidge + Dr Simon Lockrey' in CPG Innovation Podcast, 15 July, 2021 by Suzana Tripologos
•  Interviewed in 'Reasons why manufactured products don’t seem to last as long as they used to' on 3AW Radio, 26 July, 2021 by Tom Elliot
•  Interviewed on the ‘Sustainable News‘ podcast on FLW reduction, in September, 2021.
• Quoted in 'Don’t leave it to the leaders - here are the best ways you can make a difference' in The Age, 21 October, 2021 by Henrietta Cook
• Quoted in 'Party plates rebranded ‘reusable’ ahead of bans on single-use plastics' in The Age, 18 November, 2021 by Henrietta Cook
• Quoted in ‘Leave it until the morning after: how to properly wash wine glasses' in The Guardian, 25 December, 2021 by Fiona Donnelly
• Quoted in ‘Still got leftover Easter chocolate? Here's why it might be OK to eat longer than you think' on the ABC, 18 May, 2022 by Rosanne Maloney
• Quoted in ‘Special Report: The wrap on food waste' on 360, 15 June, 2022 by Sara Phillips
• 'Plastic pollution is bad, but food waste is far worse' on The Vibes (sourced from 360 story), 16 June, 2022 
• 'Plastic pollution is bad, but food waste is far worse' on 360, 15 June, 2022
• Interviewed on ABC Radio National,10 August 2022 by Narelle Graham about reusable versus single use shopping bags
• Interviewed on the ‘Finding Genius’ podcast on FLW reduction, in October, 2022.
• Interviewed on ABC Northern Tasmania, 23 November 2022 by Megan Hughes about designing out food waste.
• Quoted in 'Mushroom packaging could provide a new solution to plastic waste problem' on the ABC, 20 January, 2023 by Rosanne Maloney
• Interviewed on the 'Mushroom packaging could provide a new solution to plastic waste problem' story on ABC News, 20 January, 2023 by Rosanne Maloney
• Quoted in 'Enabling design for environmental good reports examine what's needed in circular economy shift' on AuManufacturing, 16 March, 2023
• Interviewed on the ‘On the House‘ podcast on household FLW reduction, in June, 2023.
• Featured in 'Emerging leaders tackle climate and data threats' in the Australian Financial Review, 23 August, 2023 by Nina Hendy
• Interviewed on the ‘Food Waste Matters’ podcast on FLW reduction, in August, 2023.
• Quoted in 'Experts Call For Best Before Dates To Be Scrapped' on The Project, 7 December, 2023
• Quoted in 'The big push to scrap 'best before' dates to stop food waste' on Seven News, 7 December, 2023
• Interviewed on the ‘Food Waste Matters’ podcast on FLW reduction, in July, 2024.
• Quoted in 'Manufacturers 'need to think outside the box' on packaging' in The Canberra Times, The Advocate, MSN, Cobram TImes, and other AAP outlets, December, 2024 by Marion Rae 
• Interviewed in 'Confusing food labels are costing Australians' on Channel 9 News, 11 June, 2025 by Stephanie Anderson
• Interviewed on 'Perth Today' on 6PR Perth, 26 August, 2025 by Simon Beaumont about food waste in households nationally, the reason for why, what has changed and what can change further,

• Quoted in ‘'We want to know how long it’ll last’: Should appliances have lifespan labels?' in The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 October, 2025 by Elias Visontay
• Interviewed on Sydney Breakfast ABC Radio Sydney 'The environmental credentials of paper towels and hand dryers', 24 February, 2026 by Craig Reucassel

Professor Lockrey has collectively been involved in over 100 media articles, other highlights including:

• 'The Design Response to a Wash of Green: Whole Systems and Life Cycle Thinking' in core77, Tuesday, 31 August 2010 by Simon Lockrey
• 'Double Diamond for Sustainable Strategy: Participatory LCA and Design Thinking' in core77, Thursday, 8 December 2011 by Stephen Clune and Simon Lockrey
• Quoted in 'SMART Pack receives LCA validation from RMIT' in Food Processing, 16 February 2012
•  'The great bathroom debate: paper towel or hand dryer?', The Conversation, 4 January, 2016 by Simon Lockrey
• Quoted in 'Made in Melbourne - the products and producers that are redefining retail' in The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 May, 2017 by Jayne D'Arcy
• 'Curious Kids: If a huge huntsman spider is sucked into a vacuum cleaner, can it crawl out later?' The Conversation, 24 May, 2017 by Simon Lockrey and Maggie Hardy
• 'Sustainable shopping: how to stay green when buying white goods' The Conversation, 26 January, 2018 by Trivess Moore and Simon Lockrey
• 'Sustainable shopping: tap water is best, but what bottle should you drink it from?' The Conversation, 20 April, 2018 by Trevor Thornton and Simon Lockrey
• Quoted in 'The tide is turning on single-use plastic' in The Fifth Estate, 28 June, 2018 by Cameron Jewell
• Quoted in 'Experts call for better awareness campaign and incentives for shoppers' on news.com.au, 3 July, 2018 by Stephanie Bedo
• 'Victims suffer as flammable cladding crisis rages on' The Age, 2 April, 2019
• Quoted in 'Food storage: How to keep your fruit and vegetables fresh and cut down on waste' on the ABC, 18 May, 2019 by Anna Salleh for Life Matters 
• 'Flammable cladding costs could approach billions for building owners if authorities dither' The Conversation, 6 June, 2019 by Simon Lockrey, Trivess Moore and Phil Dwyer
• Interviewed on 'Mornings' on ABC Radio, 6 June, 2019 by Patricia Karvelas on flammable cladding
• Interviewed on ABC News, 16 July, 2019 by Gemma Veness on flammable cladding on the day the Victorian Government announced funding for rectification for owners of $600 million.
• Quoted in "6 easy ways to live more sustainably", Mashable, 17 July 2020 by Amanda Yeo
• Interviewed in 'Episode 8: Fighting food waste with Dr Steve Lapidge + Dr Simon Lockrey' in The Food + Drink Business Podcast, 10 March, 2021 by Kim Berry
• Only a small fraction of buildings with flammable cladding have been fixed, and owners are feeling the strain' The Conversation, 22 March, 2021 by Trivess Moore, David Oswald and Simon Lockrey
• Featured in ‘Better Lives Through Better Business’ film by the BBC, launched 23 June, 2021

Invited keynotes and panels (2021-2024)

• Melbourne Design Week - Industrial design: Design evolution, RMIT Design Archives, Melbourne, Australia, 2021
• Melbourne Design Week - Design for work beyond 2021, RMIT Design Archives, Melbourne, Australia, 2022
• AIFST Convention - FLW panel, Melbourne, Australia, 2022
• AUSPACK – Consumers, packaging, FLW, date labelling and storage advice, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia, 2022
• APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG) Workshop on FLW Tracking and Food Recovery in Hospitality, Food Service and Retail Industries – FLW in food service in Australia, Portland, USA, 2023
• 1^st International Workshop on Circular Economy and Sustainability – EFA CRC progress, Monash University, Prato, Italy, 2023
• Waste Expo – National circular economy design strategy, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia, 2023
• Brunei Mampan Forum - Sustainable lifestyle: Addressing food waste and promoting sustainable diets, Brunei, 2024
• Melbourne Design Week - Dutch values and Australian values as they pertain to ecology, ethics and energy, Otomys Art Gallery, Melbourne, Australia, 2024
• 30th Anniversary Annual Conference of ISDRS - Explorative talk: Universities, academic freedom and sustainable development, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2024
• Regenerative Futures: RMIT and beyond, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia, 2024
• Ending Plastic Waste Symposium 2024 - Design for circularity panel, Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, Australia, 2024
• FaBA Sustainable Packaging Trends Launch - Sustainable packaging panel, Brisbane, Australia, 2025
• AIFST Convention - FLW keynote and panel, Melbourne, Australia, 2025
• Food Regulation Symposium: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future - FLW panel, Sydney, Australia, 2025

Scott contributes to creative practice research across various industries, from product to apparel design; his design practice sits at the nexus of designing for virtual reality development, computational design, and sustainable and inclusive design for apparel, footwear, softgoods, and additive manufacturing that informs creative practice. Scott is an Industrial Designer with experience in several academic and professional roles, including Program Manager, Deputy Chair of CHEAN (Ethics committee), Associate Dean of Research & Innovation, and Interim Dean across the University; he is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia. Scott's work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and his students have won various design awards, including Red Dot, IF, Dyson, and Good Design Aus.

Dr Gina Moore is a visual artist, animator, researcher, and lecturer. Before entering academia in 2017, Gina was employed as a painter, sculptor, illustrator, and animator, in various sectors including public art, architecture, and advertising. With a special interest in 3D animation and visual effects, Gina’s work embraces the generative potential of computer graphics technology and investigates the various ways that emerging practices might work toward ecological awareness and against anthropocentrism.

Examples of Gina's work can be found at www.ginamoore.com.au and https://vimeo.com/ginamoore.
PhD project work and dissertation: www.conversational3D.com

Dr Tom Penney is an experienced educator, artist and researcher leading the Bachelor of Design (Games) Program.

He has more than 10 years' experience in the tertiary education sector in the fields of digital design, games, interaction, experience design, cross-reality and contemporary art. He was previously a Lecturer and Industry Fellow in Digital Media at RMIT, introducing industry-focused and work-integrated initiatives to the studio environment.

Tom is an expert in digital studio education and practice-based research committed to integrating industry, practice and scholarship in the studio and beyond. His teaching and design of educational studios has focused on agile skills development in digital fields. This involves technical as well as soft skills, work-integrated-learning and critical theory.

Tom's contemporary arts practice involved 3D imaging, cross-reality (virtual and augmented reality) games technology and digital design. He was one of the first contemporary artists in Australia to use 3D photogrammetry, laser-scanning and the game engine Unity3D for critical and experimental artistic purposes in post-internet and post-digital contexts.

His PhD research project "Critical Affection" developed an expanded notion of "critical play" and "affection-image" in digital media and games through contemporary art practice. Much of this drew on a series of artworks that critically represented online dating apps.

Currently Tom is investigating innovations in general artificial intelligence for image making.

Tom previously worked in an augmented reality fashion company, as well as teaching art and design at Curtin and Monash Universities.

Deb Polson is the Professor of Digital Design at RMIT University, School of Design and Director of the Centre of Digital Ecosystems (CODE).

Over the last 25 years, Deb has designed large-scale data visualisations for policymakers, strange immersive experiences with theatre directors, digital distractions for young patients in hospital beds, intelligent energy modelling systems for urban developers, playful simulations for museum curators, and more.  

Expert in developing design strategies and custom methods for precision intervention in complex systems to tweak efficiencies and reduce harmful impacts.

Deb collaborates with various partners from Marvel Studios LA to Plastics NZ and has led teaching and research teams in universities across Australia, China, and the UK, as the inaugural Head of Design at the University of Auckland, launched a new School of Design in 2020.

In 2021 Deb commenced at RMIT as the Associate Dean (School of Design) and in 2024 became the Director of a new RMIT research centre, CODE (Centre of Digital Ecosystems) where teams of graduates, academics and industry experts work together to develop both precise and messy digital worlds.