Professor Andrew Parfitt

Professor Andrew Parfitt commenced as Pro Vice Chancellor and Vice President of the Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment on 6 August 2007. Previously, he was the Director of UniSA's Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR) (2004 - 2007), one of Australia's foremost ICT research organisations. In addition to his responsibilities as Director of ITR, Andrew has contributed widely to UniSA. He has been an active member of Research Policy Committee and Academic Board, and previously chaired two of our important research committees: the Cooperative Research Centres Engagement Group and the e-Research Implementation Group.

In 2006 he concurrently acted as Head of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering and led the strategic planning that resulted in the formation of the new Defence and Systems Institute and a closer cooperation between our electrical and electronic engineering related disciplines.

Andrew has been a major contributor to the ATN Universities' push to establish and maintain measures of applied research on the research evaluation agenda.

He has a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Adelaide University and was an Associate Dean in the Faculty of Engineering there, before joining CSIRO's Telecommunications and Industrial Physics division in Sydney in 1998. Within the CSIRO he led the Space and Satellite Communication Systems team from 2001. During this time he was responsible for fundamental and applied research in areas ranging from radar and communications to satellite systems and radio astronomy technologies.

Andrew has had an outstanding career as a specialist in antenna and radio systems and more recently in areas relating to space science and technology. A graduate in engineering from the University of Adelaide, he began his professional career with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation before returning to study under a DSTO cadetship.

In 2003 Andrew became CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems (CRCSS), the national research group responsible for launching FedSat, Australias first satellite in 30 years.

He has held adjunct academic positions at UniSA, the University of Adelaide, the University of Sydney and Macquarie University. In a professional capacity he is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and has been Chair of both its South Australia and New South Wales Sections. He is Chair of the Australian Academy of Science National Committee for Radio Science, and is a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

He is a Board Member of the Defence Teaming Centre and the Electronics and ICT Association.