Researcher

Professor Gangadhara Prusty

Biography

Professor Prusty is an esteemed expert in composite mechanics, spanning the nano, micro, and macro scales. His innovative interdisciplinary approach melds the mechanics of materials with the latest in automated manufacturing technologies for both composite structures/components and biomechanics applications. As the visionary Founding Director of the ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC), Professor Prusty...view more

Professor Prusty is an esteemed expert in composite mechanics, spanning the nano, micro, and macro scales. His innovative interdisciplinary approach melds the mechanics of materials with the latest in automated manufacturing technologies for both composite structures/components and biomechanics applications. As the visionary Founding Director of the ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC), Professor Prusty has dedicated over 25 years to being a trailblazer in his field, marked by his roles as a founder, inventor, acclaimed researcher, and educator.

Expanding on the achievements of the AMAC centre, Professor Prusty played a pivotal role in forming a consortium that led the successful bid for the Sovereign Manufacturing Automation of Composites Cooperative Research Centre (SoMAC CRC), now funded by the Commonwealth of Australia and renamed as Australian Composites Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (ACM CRC). This ambitious $250 million project, set to span from 2023 to 2033, is designed to transform the Australian composites industry by promoting manufacturing automation across 33 partnering organisations. Professor Prusty's leadership extends to serving as the ACM CRC's Director of Research and Executive Director on the Board.

With an extraordinary ability to bridge disciplines, Professor Prusty has garnered over 100 research grants, authored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, overseen the education of 35+ Higher Degree Researchers, and introduced significant innovations, including the patenting of Dental Composites and numerous invention disclosures. His educational breakthroughs, especially in adaptive e-Learning tools and pioneering the world's first adaptive MOOC on Engineering Mechanics, have earned global acclaim and numerous prestigious awards, such as the “Australian Awards for University Teaching.” Professor Prusty's work has significantly propelled forward research in composite materials and profoundly impacted engineering education and industrial methodologies globally.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Director of Research, Australian Composites Manufacturing CRC (ACM CRC) (2022-
Director, ARC Training Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites (AMAC) (2016-
Deputy Director, Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT@UNSW) (2008-2019)
Visiting Professor, University of Liege, Belgium (2010)
Professor (since 2014); Associate Professor (2011-2013); Senior Lecturer (2007-2010); Lecturer (2005-2007), UNSW Australia

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Automated Tape/Fibre Placement (ATP/AFP) of advanced composites- Online monitoring and processing
Nano, Micro and Macro- Mechanics and Failure analyses of fibre reinforced composite structures
Linear and non-linear finite element analysis of stiffened structures
Functionally graded materials
Fracture mechanics of nano-modified fibre reinforced composite structures

TEACHING AREAS

Engineering Mechanics
Mechanics of Solids
Composites: Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Fellow, Institution of Engineers Australia (IEAust)
Fellow, Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA)

ROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

UNSW Host, World Engineering Day-2022
Co-host, 9th Australasian Congress on Applied Mechanics (ACAM9), 27-29th Nov 2017.
Member of Experts, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), Australian Government.
Research Leader, Advanced Structures and Materials research group of MECHENG
Organising and Technical Committee member for International Maritime Conference (IMC), Australasian Congress of Applied Mechanics (ACAM) & Sixth International Composites Conference (ACUN6)

My Grants

G Prusty et al.; (2010-2015): AU $280 k: Systems for Crashworhiness, Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures (CRC-ACS)
G Prusty et al; (2013-2015): AU $250 k: The Virtual Design Workshop: An on-line adaptive resource for engineering and architecture, Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), Australian Government.
G Prusty et al.; (2014): AU$1. 2 Mil: An Australasian facility for the automated fabrication of high performance bespoke components, Australian Research Council (ARC)- LIEF
G Prusty with V. Sahajwalla et al.; (2014-2018): AU $4.1 Mil (ARC: $2.2 Mil + Partners: $1.9 Mil): ARC Research Hub for transforming waste directly in cost-effective green manufacturing, Australian Research Council (ARC)- Industrial Transformation Research Hubs scheme
G Prusty with G Pearce et al.; (2016-2019): AU $0.5Mil (ARC: $330 k + Partners: $180 k): Onset Theory: Pushing the design envelope for textile composite structures, Australian Research Council (ARC)- Linkage Projects
G Prusty et al.; (2016-2019): AU $0.65 Mil (ARC: $360 k + Partners: $270 k): Flowable composite system with short S-glass fibre and halloysite nanotubes, Australian Research Council (ARC)- Linkage Projects
G Prusty et al.; (2017-2022): AU $6.5 Mil (ARC: $3.8 M + Partners: $2.7 M ): ARC Centre for Automated Manufacture of Advanced Composites(AMAC), Australian Research Council (ARC)- Industrial Transformation Training Hub
G Prusty with P Compston et al. (2018): AU $1.2 Mil: Laser-based Automated Fibre Placement facility; Australian Research Council (ARC)- LIEF
G Prusty with S Li et al.; (2018-2025): AU $6.5 Mil: UNSW Materials & Manufacturing Futures Institute
G Prusty et al.; (2019-2022): AU $8.5 Mil (Aus Industry: $3M + Partners: 5.5M): CRC-P with SDI Ltd. on Dental Composites; Australian Govt.
G Prusty (2020-2023): AU 0.8 Mil: Durability of Composite Propellers; DSTG funding
G Prusty et al.; (2022-2032): AU $250 Mil (Commonwealth: $70M + Partners: $180M): Sovereign Manufacturing Automation for Composites CRC (SoMAC CRC); Australian Govt.

My Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (Structures), Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India, 2003
Graduate Certificate in University Learning & Teaching, UNSW Australia, 2008

My Awards

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

2023- Cooperative Research Australia Awards for Excellence in Innovation: Enduring Industry-Research Collaboration
2023- IBACA Australia India Science, Research and Development Award (Finalist)
2019- JEC Asia 2019 Innovation Award for “Shape Adaptive Hydrofoil with Fiber-Optic Sensing”
2016- Best paper award, Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2016)
2012- Australian Awards for University Teaching- Award for Teaching Excellence
2012- Australian Council of Engineering Dean's National Award for Engineering Education Excellence
2012- UNSW Faculty of Engineering Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence
2010- UNSW Vice-Chancellor Award for Teaching Excellence
2010- Lecturer of the Year, MECHSOC, UNSW
2010- ALTC Citation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning: “For innovative teaching and assessment of mechanics courses in engineering, which encourage and motivate students to learn threshold concepts effectively”.
2004- Australian Maritime College (AMC@UTAS) Council Award for High Achievement in Scholarship (Research).