Professor Doreen Thomas is the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean Research and Research Training for the Melbourne School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne.
She completed a BSc at the University of Cape Town, her Honours year in Mathematics at the University of Witwatersrand and then a MSc and DPhil Degree in Mathematics at St Anne's College, University of Oxford.
Professor Thomas has applied her fundamental mathematical research in network optimisation to applications in a number of areas including underground mine access. The software encapsulating her work has been licensed to mining companies such as BHP Billiton, Newmont and Rio Tonto to reduce underground mine development and haulage costs. She is the director of a start-up company MineOptima, through which the software has been commercialised. It has been included in the international mining software company Maptek's Vulcan software as well as Deswik's.
She has over 150 publications in international peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings.
She has always placed a great emphasis on teaching and was head of the Engineering Mathematics program at the University of Melbourne from 1999-2008. In 2011, she was awarded a Citation for an Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Professor Thomas is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. She is also a Fellow of Engineers Australia.
2012: D. Thomas, 'Survivable networks: Geometric techniques for the optimal design of fault-tolerant communication networks', Global Engagement Strategic Mobility Grants Scheme, University of Melbourne with London School of Economics and Political Science and Copenhagen University, $3K
2004: D. Thomas and M. Brazil, Coursework Design and Development Program, Multimedia Student Education Support Tools in Engineering Analysis, $38,492
2001-2008: Tewkesbury Fellowship funding, 40K
Awards
Education and training
PhD,
University of Oxford 1977
MSc,
University of Oxford 1974
BSc (Hons),
University of Witwatersrand 1971
BSc,
University of Cape Town 1970
Awards and honors
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering,
2012
Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC),
2011
2011 Patricia Grimshaw Award for mentoring excellence, The University of Melbourne,
2011
Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Australia,
2007
Best Paper Award, 2007 International Conference of Wireless Networks (ICWN'07), The International Association of Engineers (IAEng),
2007
Universitas 21 Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, The University of Melbourne,
2003
Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne,
1998
Una Goodwin Research Scholarship, Oxford University, St Anne's College,
1976
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