Our People


Distinguished Professor Brian Falzon, Dean 

Distinguished Professor Brian G. Falzon is the Dean of Engineering, Design and Built Environment at Western Sydney University. Between 2021 and 2023, he was Distinguished Professor and Chair of Advanced Composite Materials and Aerospace Structures at RMIT University, Director of RMIT University’s Space Industry Hub, Director of the Victorian Node of the Smart Satellite Cooperative Research Centre (SmartSat CRC), and Education and Training Program Manager for the Australian Composites Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (ACM CRC). He was Head of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, from 2015 to 2021, and was appointed to the prestigious UK Royal Academy of Engineering – Bombardier Chair in Aerospace Composites in 2013.

Between 2008 and 2012 Prof Falzon held the Foundation Chair in Aerospace Engineering at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he was also Director of Research, Head of Aerospace Engineering, and Deputy Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Between 1996 and 2008, Prof Falzon was at Imperial College London where he joined as a postdoctoral research fellow before becoming an academic staff member. He holds Adjunct Professorships at Queen’s University Belfast, Monash University and the University of New South Wales and was a Visiting Researcher at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Prof Falzon graduated with a PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Sydney in 1996 and was the recipient of the Golden Jubilee graduate prize. He also gained a Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering with first-class honours and a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Physics and Pure Mathematics from the same University.

Prof Falzon is a passionate engineer and is internationally renowned for his industry-driven work on the computational analysis, design, manufacture and testing of advanced composite structures. An accomplished world-leading researcher (in the top 1% in the field of Material Science  - Elsevier ranking 2023), his work has had global impact. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed journal/conference papers and book chapters, one book, and edited four others. He made seminal contributions to the analysis of structural stability of thin-skinned composite aerostructures which had a significant influence on the innovative designs subsequently implemented by Boeing Aerostructures Australia on the Boeing 787 and FA-18E/F programs. Prof Falzon was also key in helping define new modelling methodologies for the UK government-backed research program, ‘Next Generation Composite Wing’. His work on composite failure mechanisms, impact damage modelling and fracture toughness characterisation have helped the NASA Advanced Composites Project, which focused on developing reliable methods to predict structural failure. He has fostered extensive industry collaborations and in addition to the industry/government partnerships mentioned above, he has also delivered projects for Airbus, QinetiQ, UK MoD/dstl, McLaren Racing, Rockwell Collins, Thales Australia, DSTG, and Artemis Technologies.

He is the recipient of three awards from the Royal Aeronautical Society and in 2009 he was honoured with an Australian Leadership Award, from the Australian Davos Connection (ADC), in recognition of his contribution to issues of national importance and demonstrated leadership in his field. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, several professional organisations, scientific and thought leadership committees, and sits on the Editorial Board of four journals. In 2010 and 2012 he was selected to serve on the Research Evaluation Committee panel for the Australian Research Council’s Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) exercise. Prof Falzon is also the co-founder of Veryan Medical Limited, a company spin-off from Imperial College London, established in 2003, which developed a new vascular biomimetic stent (for which he holds two patents). Veryan was acquired by Otsuka Medical Devices UK Ltd in December 2018. In 2022 the stent was granted a Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. In 2018 Prof Falzon was awarded the ‘Belfast Ambassador of the Year’ award by Visit Belfast for promoting advanced manufacturing in Northern Ireland and consequently winning the bid to host a major conference for the city, the 23rd International Conference on Composite Materials, which took place in August 2023.

Key People in our School

Dean's Unit

Dean
Professor Brian Falzon

(02) 4736 0575
BE-Dean@westernsydney.edu.au

Deputy Dean
Professor Yang Xiang

(02) 4736 0395
y.xiang@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Deans

Associate Dean, Engagement
Professor Olivia Mirza

(02) 4736 0402
o.mirza@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Dean, Research and HDR
Professor Vivian Tam

(02) 4736 0105
v.tam@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Dean, International
Dr Payam Rahnamayiezekavat

(02) 9685 4625
p.zekavat@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Associate Professor Surendra Shrestha

(02) 4736 0007
s.shrestha@westernsydney.edu.au

Research Centre Directors

Director, Centre for Infrastructure Engineering
Professor Vivian Tam

(02) 4736 0105
v.tam@westernsydney.edu.au

Director, Centre for Smart Modern Construction
Professor Srinath Perera

(02) 4736 0436
srinath.perera@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leaders

Discipline Leader – Civil and Environmental Engineering
Professor Sarah Zhang

(02) 4736 0916
sarah.zhang@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leader – Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Associate Professor Gaetano Gargiulo

(02) 4736 0920
g.gargiulo@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leader – Mechanical, Robotic & Mechatronic Engineering
Professor Richard Yang

(02) 4736 0112
r.yang@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leader – Industrial Design
Professor Michael Chapman

M.Chapman@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leader – Construction Management
Professor Vivian Tam

(02) 4736 0105
v.tam@westernsydney.edu.au

Discipline Leader ‐ Architecture
Professor Michael Chapman

M.Chapman@westernsydney.edu.au

Directors of Academic Programs (DAP)

DAP - UG Engineering - Civil, Construction and Sustainability
Associate Professor Fidelis Mashiri

(02) 4736 0355
f.mashiri@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - UG Engineering - Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, and Robotic & Mechatronic
Associate Professor Ming Zhao

(02) 4736 0085
m.zhao@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - UG Engineering - Electrical
Associate Professor Khoa Le

(02) 4736 0382
k.le@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - UG Construction Management
Associate Professor Yingbin Feng

(02) 47360 468
y.feng@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - UG Building Design Management and Construction Technology
Dr Brendan Kirkland

(02) 4736 0585
b.kirkland@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - Architecture and Industrial Design
Professor Michael Chapman


M.Chapman@westernsydney.edu.au

Director, HDR and Honours
Associate Professor Kejun Dong

(02) 4736 0562
k.dong@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - PG Engineering Programs
Professor Gu Fang

(02) 9685 4606
g.fang@westernsydney.edu.au

DAP - PG Construction Management Programs
Associate Professor Xiaohua (Sean) Jin

(02) 4736 0890
xiaohua.jin@westernsydney.edu.au

Academic Program Advisors (APA)

APA - UG Construction Management - Penrith
Anthony Butera


A.Butera@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - UG Construction Management - Parramatta
Dr. Krisanthi Seneviratne

(02) 9685 9137
k.seneviratne@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - UG Engineering - Civil, Construction and Sustainability
Dr Won Hee Kang

(02) 4736 0149
w.kang@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - UG Engineering - Electrical
Dr Jeffrey (Ju Jia) Zou

(02) 9685 4612
j.zou@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - UG Engineering - Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, Mechanical, and Robotic & Mechatronic
Dr Mariam Darestani

(02) 4736 0946
m.darestani@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - UG Building Design Management and Construction Technology
Dr Wenchi Shou

(02) 9685 4701
w.shou@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - Industrial Design
Dr Mauricio Novoa

(02) 9685 9757
m.novoa@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - Architecture
Dr Mohammad Reza Razavi

(02) 9685 4621
R.Razavi@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - PG Project Management and Construction Law
Dr Ali AI-Ashwal

(02) 4736 0933
a.al-ashwal@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - PG Construction Management
Dr. Sameera Wijesiri Pathirana

(02) 4736 0979
i.pathirana@westernsydney.edu.au

APA - PG Engineering Programs
Associate Professor Baolin Wang

(02) 4736 0567
b.wang@westernsydney.edu.au

Professorial Staff

Professor/Chair of Architecture and Design
Professor Michael Chapman


M.Chapman@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Brian Falzon

(02) 4736 0575
BE-Dean@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Yang Xiang

(02) 4736 0395
y.xiang@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Olivia Mirza

(02) 4736 0402
o.mirza@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Gaetano Gargiulo

(02) 4736 0920
g.gargiulo@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Richard (Chunhui) Yang

(02) 4736 0112
r.yang@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Vivian Tam

(02) 4736 0105
v.tam@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Hamid Ronagh


h.ronagh@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Gu Fang

(02) 9685 4606
g.fang@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Srinath Perera

(02) 4736 0436
srinath.perera@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Chin Jian Leo

(02) 9685 4610
c.leo@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Ataur Rahman

(02) 4736 0145
a.rahman@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor (Sathaa) Arumugam Sathasivan

(02) 4736 0941
s.sathasivan@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Bijan Samali

(02) 4736 0263
b.samali@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Zhong Tao

(02) 4736 0064
z.tao@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Sarah Zhang

(02) 4736 0916
sarah.zhang@westernsydney.edu.au

Professor
Professor Greg Morrison

g.morrison@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Yingbin Feng

(02) 4736 0468
y.feng@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Khoa Le

(02) 4736 0382
k.le@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Sepani Senaratne

(02) 9685 4624
s.senaratne@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Samanthika Liyanapathirana

(02) 4736 0653
s.liyanapathirana@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Mahmood Nagrial

(02) 4736 0827
m.nagrial@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Kejun Dong

(02) 4736 0562
k.dong@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Fidelis Mashiri

(02) 4736 0355
f.mashiri@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Ming Zhao

(02) 4736 0085
m.zhao@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Surendra Shrestha

(02) 4736 0007
s.shrestha@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Swapan Saha

(02) 9685 4601
s.saha@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Haiping Zhu

(02) 9685 4609
h.zhu@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Professor
Associate Professor Baolin Wang

(02) 4736 0576
b.wang@westernsydney.edu.au

Adjunct Professor
Phillip Arnold


p.arnold@westernsydney.edu.au

Adjunct Professor
David Chandler


d.chandler@westernsydney.edu.au

Adjunct Professor
Gabrielle Wallace


gabrielle.wallace@westernsydney.edu.au

Adjunct Professor
John Gal

(02) 4736 0943
j.gal@westernsydney.edu.au

Visiting Professor
Associate Professor Alireza Keshavarzy

(02) 4736 0563
a.keshavarzy@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturers

Senior Lecturer
Dr Dharma Hagare

(02) 4736 0134
d.hagare@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Ali Hellany

(02) 4736 0126
a.hellany@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr John Zhang

(02) 9685 4604
j.zhang@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer 
Dr Ranjith Liyanapathirana

(02) 4736 0082
r.liyanapathirana@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Mr John Smolders

(02) 9685 4603
j.smolders@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Kejun Dong

(02) 4736 0562
k.dong@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Pejman Sharafi

(02) 4736 0342
p.sharafi@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Chunwei Zhang

(02) 4736 0182
chunwei.zhang@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Won Hee Kang

(02) 4736 0149
w.kang@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Maria Rashidi

(02) 4736 0183
m.rashidi@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Ali AI-Ashwal

(02) 4736 0933
a.al-ashwal@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Robert Osei-Kyei

r.osei-kyei@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Mohammad Reza Razavi

(02) 9685 4621
r.razavi@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior Lecturer
Dr Ursa Komac

(02) 9685 4766
U.Komac@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturers

Lecturer
Dr Keivan Bamdad

K.Bamdad@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Jonathan Vincent

(02) 4736 0008
j.vincent@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Krisanthi Seneviratne

(02) 4736 0114
K.Seneviratne@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Mr James Berry

(02) 9685 9745
j.berry@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Matt Stevens

(02) 9685 4617
Matt.Stevens@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Don Mason

(02) 4736 0584
donald.mason@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Sameera Pathirana

(02) 4736 0979
I.Pathirana@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Wenchi Shou

(02) 9685 4701
W.Shou@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
James Berry

(02) 9685 9745
J.Berry@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Jean Payette

(02) 9685 9760
J.Payette@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Mark Crowley

(02) 4736 0924
M.Crowley@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Mauricio Novoa

(02) 9685 9757
M.Novoa@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Alan Toddhunter

(02) 4736 0315
A.Todhunter@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Peng Zhang

(02) 9685 4615
P.Zhang@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Dr Aso Haji Rasouli

A.HajiRasouli@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Angelo Korsanos

A.Korsanos@westernsydney.edu.au

Lecturer
Rob Meyerson

R.Meyerson@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturers

Associate Lecturer
Chris Nash

(02) 4736 0960
C.Nash@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturer
Dr Md Abdul Alim

(02) 4736 0763
m.alim@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturer
Dr Md Kamrul Hassan

(02) 4736 0114
k.hassan@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturer
Anthony Butera


A.Butera@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturer
Dr Laura de Almeida


L.Almeida@westernsydney.edu.au

Associate Lecturer
Dr Parisa Ziaesaeidi


P.Ziaesaeidi@westernsydney.edu.au

Professional Staff

School Manager
Jodie Clark

(02) 4736 0929
j.clark@westernsydney.edu.au

Executive Assistant
Trish Saladine

(02) 4736 0620
t.saladine@westernsydney.edu.au

Executive Project Officer
Kim Vincent

(02) 9685 9650
k.vincent@westernsydney.edu.au

Business Coordinator
Tracey Crofts

(02) 4736 0288
t.crofts@westernsydney.edu.au

Student Placement and Industry Liaison Officer
Rita Mifsud

(02) 4736 0144
r.mifsud@westernsydney.edu.au

Senior School Administrative Officer, Research Services
Cheryl Murray

(02) 9685 9234
c.murray@westernsydney.edu.au

Project Officer
Sara Baker

sara.baker@westernsydney.edu.au

Governance and Compliance Officers
Ruby Liu

Tracey Hanson


r.liu@westernsydney.edu.au


t.hanson@westernsydney.edu.au

Engagement

pooled-engagement@westernsydney.edu.au

Research and HDR Administration Officer
Felicity Koulouris

(02) 4736 0707
f.koulouris@westernsydney.edu.au

Project Manager
Robert Marshall

(02) 4736 0304
r.marshall@westernsydney.edu.au

 


Industry Engagement Officer
Alyce Coleman



a.coleman3@westernsydney.edu.au