Monash AI expert honoured by Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

Monash University’s leading artificial intelligence researcher and Faculty of Information Technology Dean Professor Ann Nicholson has been elected as a fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Faculty of Information Technology Dean Professor Ann Nicholson.

ATSE is an independent body of almost 900 eminent Australian scientists and engineers committed to excellence in engineering, technology and applied science research.

Today, Professor Nicholson joins 26 other pioneering experts as a Fellow of the prestigious Academy.

Professor Nicholson is an internationally acclaimed researcher specialising in Bayesian networks. She has applied Bayesian Network technology to problem-solving in many areas including meteorology, epidemiology, medicine, education and environmental science.

Monash University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Senior Vice-President Professor Rebekah Brown congratulated Professor Nicholson.

“We are extremely proud to have thought-leaders like Professor Nicholson at the helm of our faculties and as part of our talented research community. This recognition is a well-deserved acknowledgement of her outstanding contributions to research in the field of artificial intelligence,” Professor Brown said.

In a career spanning 30 years, Professor Nicholson has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, attracted more than $12 million in research funding and steered research and education for Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology in various leadership roles, including now as Dean of the faculty.

“I feel honoured to have been elected by my fellow researchers as part of the Academy. As a fellow, I hope to continue researching, educating and contributing to the field of AI, with a focus on championing diversity and inclusion for technology-related research,” Professor Nicholson said.

ATSE President Hugh Bradlow said the new Fellows are shaping Australia’s technology powered human driven future.

“Elected by their peers, ATSE Fellows are leaders in applied science, technology and engineering and we celebrate their exceptional professional contributions to Australian STEM innovation,” Professor Bradlow said.

Professor Nicholson’s current research includes using Bayesian networks for COVID-19 prognosis and risk assessment and the early detection of vaccine adverse reactions, as well as generating multi-modal explanations of Bayesian network reasoning to help decision makers.