Professor Elanor Huntington is Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the Australian National University (ANU). Elanor is an established senior academic leader, with Board appointments to Industry Innovation and Science Australia, Significant Capital Ventures, Questacon and other government scientific advisory roles. In 2017 she was named an honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia, led the extended Group of Eight (Go8+) Engineering Deans as first female Chair up until 2019 and more recently became a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 2020.
Prior to joining the ANU, Elanor was the Head of Engineering and IT at University of New South Wales (UNSW). During this time, she helped bring about significant transformation within the School, including setting up UNSW Space and The Australian Centre for Cyber Security.
In 2000, Elanor completed her PhD in experimental Quantum Optics at the ANU. Her current research includes the control of quantum systems, more specifically; the interface between theory and applications. In 2009, Elanor completed a Masters of Information Technology, also through the ANU.
Elanor has recently been selected to provide expert advice to the newly established Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. In 2017 she delivered a TEDxSydney Talk on ‘Why we need Engineers now more than ever’ and later in 2019, co-founded the Engineering for Australia Taskforce to provide expert advice on addressing barriers to women’s participation in university engineering programs.
As Dean, Elanor does more than contemplate the difference between distinctions and high distinctions. Her innovative thinking has recast engineering and computer science at the ANU with an unprecedented investment to reimagine the way we do things.