Australian Pulsed Power Workshop: Speakers
Dr Chunqi Jiang
Associate Professor, Old Dominion University, USA
Speaker biography
Chunqi Jiang received her BS (1995) from the Changchun Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, China, her MS (1998) from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and her PhD (2002) from Old Dominion University (ODU), USA. She worked in the pulsed power research group at the Department of Electrical Engineering – Electrophysics, University of Southern California (USC) first as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (2002 – 2005) then a Research Faculty (2008 – 2013) and Research Associate Professor (2013). In addition to her academic experience, she worked as a Research and Development Engineer at a startup company in New Jersey for two years (2005 – 2007). In 2013, she joined ODU and became an Associate Professor affiliated with both the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at ODU. Her research interests include plasma switches for compact pulse power, nanosecond pulsed plasma sources, electric fields and their applications in environmental and biomedical fields. Her research has been funded by DoD, DoE, NIH and the private sector. She has published more than 60 research papers and 6 book chapters and holds one patent. She is an IEEE senior member and APS member. She has been actively involved in IEEE conference activities over the past decade including serving as Technical Program co-Chair (2019) for IEEE International Conference on Pulsed Power and Plasma Science, Technical Area Coordinator and Session Chair (2014 & 2018) for IEEE International Conferences of Plasma Science. She was elected as a voting member to serve on the IEEE Pulsed Power Science and Technology Committee in 2017. She served as Guest Editor for 2015 & 2019 special issues of IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science as well as for a 2009 special issue of IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation.
Dr Mansour Edraki
Associate Professor, Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation (CMLR), Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Australia
Speaker biography
Dr Edraki is a leading expert in environmental geochemistry applied to mine waste and mine water management. He has more than 20 years of experience in leading research projects for the mining industry and is currently leading the Environmental Geochemistry Group at SMI. Mansour’s research interests are in understanding and predicting the source, transformations and fate of contaminants, particularly acid and metalliferous drainage (AMD), in the mining environment. Through field monitoring, laboratory experiments and modelling his group follow the geochemical pathways of heavy metals, metalloids (e.g. arsenic) and salts and investigate the natural processes that may degrade the quality of surface and groundwater and natural soils. Since joining UQ, Mansour has focused on developing innovative techniques for detecting and predicting processes which underpin sustainable management of mine waste and mine water. Dr Edraki represents SMI-UQ at International Network for Acid Prevention (INAP), which is a global alliance for managing the issue of acid and metalliferous drainage.
Professor Sunao Katsuki
Institute of Pulsed Power Science, Kumamoto University for Education, Japan
Speaker biography
Professor Sunao Katsuki received his PhD degree from Kumamoto University in 1998. Between 1998-2007, he has been an Associate Professor at Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Kumamoto University. Since 2007, he has been Professor at Institute of Pulsed Power Science, Kumamoto University. Since 1995, he secured JP¥ 91,500,000 research fund. He published more than 250 journal and conference papers. His experties include pulsed power generators, electrical measurement for pulsed power, plasma diagnostics, electromagnetic launcher, pulsed discharges in gases, liquids and super critical fluid, z-pinch discharge plasmas, underwater spark discharges and shock wave and bioelectrics.
Dr Nidhi Bansal
School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, Australia
Speaker biography
Dr Nidhi Bansal received her Ph.D. degree in Food Chemistry from University College Cork, Ireland in 2007. She is currently an Associate Professor in the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. She has led the food non-thermal processing research program at UQ since 2011. Dr Bansal has 100 publications in the field of dairy science. Her research draws on her vision to utilise her extensive dairy science experience to lead multidisciplinary research that can see milk components achieving medicinal goals in addition to providing nutrition.
Professor Victor Nikonenko
Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russia
Speaker biography
Professor Victor Nikonenko graduated from the Mathematical Faculty of the Kuban State University; defended his Doctor of science thesis at the A.N. Frumkin Institute of Electrochemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences (1996) and his HDR thesis at the Paris-Est University (2001). He is working in the field of transport phenomena in membrane systems including ‘membrane structure - properties’ relationships, coupling between ion and water transport as well as coupling between ion/molecule transport and chemical reactions. His publications are cited >4700 times, h index is 39 (Scopus). He is Russian co-director of the French-Russian International Associated Laboratory “Ion-exchange membranes and related processes”. Member of the editorial board of “Russian Journal of Electrochemistry” and “Membranes and Membrane Technologies” journal (published in Russian and English). Member of the editorial board and guest editor of the “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” (MDPI) journal and “Membranes” (MDPI) journal. Doctor Honoris Causa at the University of Montpellier, France; associated professor at the Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Dr Aurtur Wiktor
Assistant professor, Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Poland
Speaker biography
Dr Artur Wiktor is a specialist in the field of food engineering, including primarily the use of pulsed electric field to support unit processes. Author of over 60 publications. He works at the Department of Food Engineering and Production Organization at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, and he gained his international experience during scientific internships: in Germany and working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Member of the Early Carrer Scientists Section of International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). Multiple research project manager - currently leads the work of the Polish research team implementing a research project under the Horizon 2020 program.
Professor Hidenori Akiyama
Kumamoto University, Japan
Speaker biography
Professor Hidenori Akiyama received his PhD degree from Nagoya University (Nagoya, Japan) in 1979. He was a Research Associate in Nagoya University from 1979 to 1985. In 1985, he joined Kumamoto University (Kumamoto, Japan) as a member of the faculty; he is a Professor Emeritus of this university. He is also the President of the Fusion Techs Company. Dr. Akiyama was recognized as an IEEE Fellow in 2000. He received the IEEE Major Education Innovation Award in 2000, IEEE Peter Haas Award in 2003, IEEE Germeshausen Award in 2008, Frank Raidy Bioelectrics Award in 2011, and IEEE Leon Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award in 2013. He was acknowledged as an IEEJ Fellow in 2014 and IEEE Life Fellow in 2020.
Professor Hamid Hosano
Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials, Kumamoto University, Japan
Speaker biography
Professor Hamid Hosano received his PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering from Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, in 1999. He was a Lecturer at Sharif University of Technology, from 1990 to 1996. He served as Research Associate and Associate Professor at Tohoku University, from 1999 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008, he was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. In 2008, he joined Kumamoto University, Japan, where he is currently a Professor of the Biomaterials and Bioelectrics Department, Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials. His research interests are bioelectrics; shock waves, pulsed power, and their biomedical application; micro/nano-fluidics; therapeutic ultrasound; and drug/nanoparticle delivery. He also performs green-energy and food-preservation studies as well as waste-recycling and environmental decontamination.
Professor Firuz Zare
School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Australia
Speaker biography
Professor Firuz Zare is a Fellow of IEEE, Power Electronics Professor and a discipline leader of Power, Energy and Control Engineering at the University of Queensland in Australia. He received his PhD in Power Electronics from Queensland University of Technology in Australia in 2002. He has over 20 years of experience in academia, industry and international standardisation committees, including eight years in two large R&D centres working on power electronics and energy conversion systems. Prof Zare has received several awards such as an Australian Future Fellowship, John Madsen Medal, Symposium Fellowship and early career excellence research award. He has published four books, over 280 journal and conference papers, five patents and over 40 technical reports. He is a Task Force Leader (International Project Manager) of Active Infeed Converters to develop the first international standard IEC 61000-3-16 within the IEC standardisation SC77A. Prof Zare is a Senior Editor of IEEE Access journal, a Guest Editor and Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, Associate Editor of IET journal and an Editorial board member of several international journals. His main research areas are a) Power Electronics Topology, Control and Applications, b) Power Quality and Regulations and c) Pulsed Power Applications.