Elaine commenced as Pro Vice-Chancellor (People and Equity) in December 2023, reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (People & Community). In this role, Elaine works closely with the leadership team within the Office of the Provost.
Prior to this appointment, Elaine made significant contributions as Associate Dean (Diversity & Inclusion) in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. Under her leadership, FEIT was the first engineering faculty in Australia to advertise and recruit women-only and gender diverse continuing academic positions. Elaine is a champion of improving awareness and understanding of the transformative change in diversity and inclusion necessary to sustain excellence in our teaching and research. She is also a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor.
Currently serving on the Australian Research Council College of Experts, the Photonics Society Board of Governors, Chair of Communication Society Optical Network Technical Community, Elaine is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Technical Activities Board, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee, and General Chair of Optical Fibre Communication Conference 2025.
Further, Elaine is Technical Editor of the IEEE Network, and has previously served on the editorial boards of IEEE/Optica Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, IEEE/Optica Journal of Lightwave Technology, and OSA Journal of Optical Networking.
Outside of work, Elaine has a newfound passion for cultivating her vegetable patch and experimenting with various crops to assess their suitability for her garden. On weekends, Elaine makes a deliberate effort to carve out uninterrupted time to tend to her garden, free from any distractions, constantly learning and evolving as she immerses herself in the unpredictability of gardening.