Our team
Management Team
DAIRNet is managed by a multidisciplinary team with the experience to build and sustain a coordinated and collaborative approach to Defence AI research across Australia.
Dr Mel McDowall
Director DAIRNet
Dr Ralph Gailis
Specialist Science Advisor for AI, Defence Science and Technology Group
Dr Gary Hanly
DAIRNet-DSTG Liaison, Defence Science and Technology Group
Mr Jacob Irving
Project Manager DAIRNet
Ms Jacinta Lamacchia
DAIRNet Project Manager: Communications and Events
Governance Panel
The Governance Panel provides strategic direction to the DAIRNet Management Committee and ensures that DAIRNet’s activities align with the broader Defence AI strategic direction. Members of the Governance Panel represent DAIRNet, DSTG and key stakeholders within the Department of Defence.
Chair: Dr Robert Hunjet
Dr Robert Hunjet
Program Leader – AI, Defence Science and Technology Group
Mr Simon Joyce
Assistant Secretary Data Governance and Services, Department of Defence
Dr Mel McDowall
Director DAIRNet
AIRCDRE Di Turton
Director General ICI, Defence Intelligence Group
CDRE Stu Watters
Director General JC4, Joint Capabilities Group
Management Committee
The Management Committee coordinates implementation of the direction provided by the Governance Panel. The Management Team and the DAIRNet panels, committees and working groups report to the Management Committee. It also provides the primary link between DAIRNet and the Department of Defence.
Chair: Dr Mel McDowall
Dr Mel McDowall
Director DAIRNet
Dr Ralph Gailis
Specialist Science Advisor for AI, Defence Science and Technology Group
Dr Gary Hanly
DAIRNet-DSTG Liaison, Defence Science and Technology Group
Mr Philip Keane
Assistant Director Strategic Programs, Science Partnerships, Defence Science and Technology Group
Mr Sebastien Hebert
Senior Manager: Strategic Engagement, Enterprise Partnerships Unit, University of South Australia
Dr Sebastien Wong
Group Leader Automated Imagery Analysis, Intelligence Surveillance and Space Division, Defence Science and Technology Group
Associate Professor Belinda Chiera
Deputy Director of University of South Australia Industrial AI Research Centre
Technical Advisory Panel
The Technical Advisory Panel provides guidance on the research themes and activities undertaken within the network, identifies synergies and complementary research, and ensures the quality of research. The Technical Advisory Panel also plays a critical role in the development and assessment of research calls and activities conducted within the network, such as education and outreach and the identification of trends and gaps in sovereign AI. The current members of the panel represent DSTG and the DAIRNet foundation members.
Chair: Prof Belinda Chiera, Deputy Director, Industrial AI Research Centre, University of South Australia
Assoc. Prof Ehsan Abbasnejad, Department of Data Science & AI, Monash University
Dr Alex Antic, Deputy Director Defence and Security, UNSW AI Institute, University of NSW
Dr Zena Assaad, Senior Research Fellow, Australian National University
Prof Hanna Kurniawati, SmartSat CRC Chair in System Autonomy, Intelligence and Decision Making, Australian National University
Prof Lewis Mitchell, School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide
Dr Sebastian Rodriguez, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, RMIT University
Prof Flora Salim, CISCO Chair of Digital Transport, University of New South Wales
Prof Markus Stumptner, Director, Industrial AI Research Centre, University of South Australia
Prof John Thangarajah, Director of Research of CIAIRI, RMIT University
Prof Truyen Tran, Head of AI, Health and Science, Deakin University
Dr Sara Webb, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Emerging Technologies, Swinburne University
WGCDR S. Kate Conroy, PhD Responsible AI Lead, RAFF
Dr Ralph Gailis, Specialist Science Advisor for AI, DSTG
Dr Glennn Moy, Research Specialist, AI and Machine Learning, DSTG
Partners
Universities and industry that enter a collaborative arrangement with Defence regarding DAIRNet become members. Six universities are the foundation members of DAIRNet: Monash University, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, The University of Adelaide, UNSW and University of South Australia.
