Professor Ian Young

2010 College Recipient, College of Science and Engineering

Professor Ian Young is Kernot Professor of Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He has previously held the positions of Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU), Canberra and Vice-Chancellor and President of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. He is the holder of three degrees from JCU.

He received his Bachelor of Engineering with Honours Class 1 in 1979, a Masters of Engineering Science in 1982 and his PhD in 1984.

Prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor of Swinburne in 2003, Professor Young held the dual positions of Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of Adelaide. He has also held positions at the University of New South Wales, the Max Planck Institut für Meteorologie, in Germany – and of course here at JCU.

He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia (HonFIEAust) and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).  In 2012, he was named an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to tertiary education.

In addition to his work as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Young AO continues to conduct research focused on coastal and ocean engineering and particularly wind generated ocean waves – work that he began in his days at JCU. He is also a Director of a number of companies.

Updated 2023