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University of Sydney engineer named one of Australia’s most innovative

4 July 2017
Academic recognised for her contributions to engineering

Engineers Australia has named Professor Xiaoke Yi from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies as one of Australia's most innovative engineers in the Australia's Most Innovative Engineers 2017 awards.

Professor Xiaoke Yi. Image courtesy: Engineers Australia.

Professor Xiaoke Yi. Image courtesy: Engineers Australia.

Professor Yi from the faculty’s School of Electrical and Information Engineering was one of three Australian engineers recognised in the ‘Manufacturing and Automation’ category for her new pain-free, low-cost method to help people with diabetes monitor their ketone levels.

She will continue to develop this project as one of the first cohort of fellows of the University’s new Sydney Research Accelerator (SOAR) program.

“I feel greatly honoured to join this list of Australia’s most innovative leading engineers,” said Professor Yi.

As well as making society healthier through her biomedical research, Professor Yi is working to make Australia a safer place to live through innovative engineering work with the Department of Defence.

She is also championing a multidisciplinary approach to research and innovation in nanotechnology through her work as ‘Computing, Communication and Security’ theme leader in the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.

“I believe that innovation can bridge the gaps between research, industry and end-users. My vision is to deliver major breakthroughs that will bring about positive changes in fields such as healthcare and defence, and help build a healthier, safer and better society,” Professor Yi said.  

Engineers Australia National President John McIntosh congratulated Professor Yi and all the winners.

"Australian engineers are respected worldwide both for our ingenuity and persistence in making our solutions work," he said.

"We are the home, after all, of world famous inventions such as WiFi and the black box flight recorder."

Mr McIntosh was also pleased that a quarter of the finalists were female.

"Increasing the gender diversity of the engineering profession is crucial to our long-term sustainability," he said.

"I hope the women on this list inspire young women to be as creative and ingenious as them."

The annual Australia's Most Innovative Engineers awards are open to all engineers working in Australia and are designed to recognise outstanding individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the community, the industry and the profession. This year, the list comprised 30 Australian engineers.

As part of her award, Professor Yi was profiled in the July issue of create magazine, the flagship publication of Engineers Australia.

The University of Sydney’s Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies was a sponsor of the Australia's Most Innovative Engineers 2017 awards.

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