Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology

Women made up almost 50 per cent of the worldwide gaming population last year – and yet something that should be fun can turn toxic, with 83 per cent of Australian women experiencing or observing abuse while playing online.

On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, digital ethics and game design researcher Dr Lucy Sparrow goes deep on the big issues facing the industry → unimelb.me/40QZM2O

🇩🇪 Master of Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace) student and Gundungurra woman Tully Mahr spent January in Berlin on a FEIT exchange to Technische Universität Berlin, where she took a CanSat Satellite Design Course.

She reflects: 'This team project-based course had an interesting design challenge – using a systems engineering approach, build a satellite to collect data during flight, detach a parachute after safe landing then become a rover on ground using a locomotion system.

The course had it all, from project management to satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration and testing. I'm super excited to apply the technical skills and lessons learned into future projects.

Huge thanks to my team and TU Berlin Summer & Winter School for such a fun and engaging student and cultural experience!'

Thank you for sharing your time abroad with us, Tully. Learn about our exchange opportunities → unimelb.me/3CqE2CM

🎉 FEIT Graduate researcher Poorya Shaghaghi has won the 2025 Clare Hall Decarbonisation Studentship, granted to just one student worldwide each year.

He will use the fully-funded studentship to continue his research on reducing the carbon footprint of the building sector – progressing fundamental understanding of ventilation flows at the University of Cambridge.

‘It is an honour to receive this studentship, which will allow me to collaborate with some of the greatest minds of our time. I'm grateful for the training and opportunities I have received at The University of Melbourne, which prepared me to be a candidate for this prestigious award,’ Poorya said.

Join us in congratulating him on his win and commitment to sustainable solutions for a low-carbon future → unimelb.me/4103OHm

✈️ PhD candidate Sean Hanrahan has just returned from an Argus Scholarship trip. His focus? Advancing our understanding of the turbulence that develops in the intakes of aircraft engines.

At Universität der Bundeswehr München and TU Darmstadt for over three months, Sean studied a benchmark called the MEIRD. Designed to assess aeroengine stability and the effects of intake-compressor interaction, the MEIRD has a snake-like shape that tends to develop strong pressure gradients and 3D flow features. It’s highly bent intake presents a challenge, both for study and design for optimal performance, and this can ultimately cause engine instability. Sean’s PhD seeks to change this.

Working with fellow graduate researchers Julian Scheibel and Andreas Grois, Dr Marcel Stößel and Profs Suad Jakirlic and Dragan Kožulović, he was able to benchmark the performance of a range of mathematical equations known as turbulence models that are required to undertake computational simulations. He hopes the results will help engineers and researchers design the next generation of aircraft with high-performing intake geometries, improving safety and efficiency.

Swipe for a glimpse of Sean’s trip, learn more about our graduate research scholarships → unimelb.me/3E9rn7x

🤖 Mechatronics and Melbourne Accelerator Program alum Grace Brown started building robots when she was just 15. But her passion became a business in 2022 when she launched Andromeda to reduce loneliness in aged care centres using Abi, the first empathetic robot.

Follow Brown's path from The University of Melbourne to Forbes Australia's 30 Under 30 and beyond → unimelb.me/4jaN72S

📣 Does your company need an engineering or IT student intern between Feb and May 2025? Submit a PD to the FEIT Internship Program by 30 Jan → unimelb.me/3xoziKM

Our Master of Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Environmental, Information Systems, IT, Mechanical, Mechatronics and Software students are eligible for the 10–16 week program and ready to give and grow with you team.

🎓 We are brimming with pride for our . It's been a privilege to support you in your pursuit of engineering and technology excellence – our future feels far brighter with you building it. Here’s to tomorrow’s innovators 💙

Got breasts? If so, they might be dense – 50% of women have dense breast tissue, increasing cancer risk while complicating early detection.

A team of Biomedical Engineering and Business Administration students are tackling this issue front on with DenSight. A non-invasive, radiation-free way to measure density, the wearable device would alleviate discomfort caused by mammograms and increase access to screening across the country – empowering women with information about their breast health and enhancing early cancer detection.

Learn about the Telstra Tech Breakthrough & Community Impact Award-winning project, developed in our BioDesign Innovation program → unimelb.me/41sJH5l

🦠 Dr Xin Li is squaring off against antimicrobial resistance, developing a coating to reduce infection around medical implants.

Follow her path from China to Melbourne – for a Master of Biomedical Engineering and Melbourne Research Scholarship-supported PhD → unimelb.me/3ZoCVvM

🏆 Poorya Shaghaghi, a graduate researcher in the Fluid Mechanics Research Group of our Department of Mechanical Engineering, was named Best Student of the Year (Higher Education / Research) at the AIRAH 2024 Awards last week.

‘This prestigious award, the highest in HVAC&R, holds deep significance for me. After three years of incredibly hard work, I'm grateful to have played a small role in enhancing our understanding of buoyancy-driven ventilation flows.

Our world-class research environment made it possible. I'm immensely thankful to everyone at the University of Melbourne for their support. This achievement is shared – I hope it inspires others to contribute to advancements in our field.’

Learn more about the AIRAH 2024 Awards → unimelb.me/4g7MIMt

'Endeavour helps you build relationships not just with your team but across the University and with external partners, which is crucial for future success,' Holly Farmer, Master of Mechatronics Engineering student.

With exams complete and graduation within weeks, reflect on with us → unimelb.me/3Z9ndVm

📷 Michael Kai – if you see yourself, please tag!

We are thrilled to announce Prof Thas Nirmalathas as the new Dean of the Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology. Interim Dean since the start of 2024, Prof Nirmalathas' formal appointment follows an international search and selection process.

'I look forward to continuing to lead an exceptional team – supporting an inclusive community with a strong focus on our outstanding students and working closely with alumni, partners and stakeholders,' the Electrical and Electronics professor, with 17 years at The University of Melbourne, said.

Learn more about his 'enduring and passionate commitment to ensuring the University builds on its global leadership position, advancing scholarship and education for the great benefit of society' → unimelb.me/4efAcJm