Branka Vucetic

Professor Branka Vucetic is an Australian-based expert in coding theory and its applications in wireless technology. She works at the University of Sydney where she holds the positions of ARC Laureate Fellow, Peter Nicol Russell Chair in Telecommunications, and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Telecommunications.

Biography

Vucetic grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, with her parents, a school teacher and a shop assistant. "Her fascination with physics and wireless engineering stems from being challenged by a high-school teacher to answer a complicated question on electromagnetic waves. Further stimulated by library research, she formed the ambition to inspire the next generation of female students to pursue engineering, technology, science or maths".

She obtained her tertiary qualifications from the University of Belgrade: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1972), Master of Science (1978) and Doctor of Philosophy in Telecommunications (1982). Vucetic has held academic positions in Serbia, United Kingdom, Australia and China. She is Fellow of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for contributions to the theory and applications of channel coding, a former Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Communications, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

In the area of the internet of things, Vucetic works on extending wireless connectivity for mission critical applications such as "automated power grids, information exchange between vehicles and supporting cloud infrastructure for detecting safety-critical situations, such as black ice, vehicle accident minimisation and adaptation to road conditions, remotely controlled and self-driven vehicles and remote robot-assisted surgeries".

Awards and honours 2014 – Chinese Government Friendship Award 2015 – Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2016 – ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship 2017 – Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science 2018 – New South Wales Premier's Prize for Science and Engineering 2019 – CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science, awarded by the Australian Museum