Alec Cameron (academic)

Alexander (Alec) John Cameron (born 5 February 1963) is an Australian engineer and university administrator, currently serving as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University.[1]

Alec Cameron
Vice-Chancellor of RMIT University
Cameron in September 2016
Vice-Chancellor and President of the
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Assumed office
January 2022
ChancellorPeggy O'Neal
Preceded byMartin Bean
Personal details
Born5 February 1963 (1963-02-05) (age 61)
Australia
Alma materUniversity of Sydney (BSc)
University of Oxford (PhD)

Early life and education edit

Cameron was educated at Knox Grammar School (1969–1980) where he was school captain in Year 12.[2]

He attended the University of Sydney in 1981–1985, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pure Mathematics and Physics in 1984, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree with First Class Honours and the University Medal in 1986.[3]

While at Sydney University he played in the breakaway (flanker) position in the university club's first grade rugby union XV.

He was selected as the Rhodes scholar for New South Wales in 1986. At the University of Oxford, he was a member of University College, and obtained his DPhil in the Robotics Research Group in 1989, under the supervision of Hugh Durrant-Whyte.[4] He was a member of Oxford University Rugby Football Club and won a Blue in Rugby in 1988.[5]

Career edit

Cameron joined Philips Research Laboratories in Briarcliff Manor, New York, as a Senior Member of Research Staff from 1989 to 1993.

He then returned to Sydney in 1993 as the founding Program Director of the Australian Graduate School of Engineering Innovation; an Advanced Engineering Centre, jointly established by the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney.

Cameron then joined Telstra Corporation, holding several senior roles from 1996 to 2000. He then held other positions in the IT sector, with Comindico, Alcatel and Sun Microsystems.[6]

In 2003, he joined the University of New South Wales as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resource and Infrastructure). In 2006, he led a review of the Faculty of Commerce and Economics and the Australian Graduate School of Management, leading to a recommendation for their merger, He was appointed as the inaugural dean to achieve this merger and lead the newly created UNSW Business School, holding this position until December 2012. He was president of the Australian Business Deans' Council from 2014 to 2015.

Cameron commenced as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Western Australia, in January 2013.[7] In 2015, he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

He commenced as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at Aston University in September 2016.[7] In 2018, he was one of 5 candidates for The Guardian University Award for the Most Inspiring Leader.[8] Cameron has held several Board positions in association with his role at Aston including:[9]

He commenced as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University in January 2022, replacing Martin Bean.[10] Professor Aleks Subic succeeded Cameron as Vice-Chancellor of Aston University in August 2022.[11]

Personal life edit

Cameron married Elizabeth Jane Kellaway in Sydney on 18 July 1987. They have a daughter (Molly) and son (Hugh).[6]

Publications edit

  • Cameron, Alec; Durrant-Whyte, Hugh (October 1990). "A Bayesian Approach to Optimal Sensor Placement". The International Journal of Robotics Research. 9 (5): 70–88. doi:10.1177/027836499000900505. S2CID 5305762.

References edit

  1. ^ "Professor Alec Cameron". www.rmit.edu.au. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. ^ Knox Grammar School. (1980). "Year 12 Valete". Knox Grammarian.
  3. ^ Register of Rhodes Scholars 1903-1995. Oxford: Rhodes Trust. 1996. p. 428. ISBN 0952769506.
  4. ^ Cameron, Alec; Durrant-Whyte, Hugh (October 1990). "A Bayesian Approach to Optimal Sensor Placement". The International Journal of Robotics Research. 9 (5): 70–88. doi:10.1177/027836499000900505. S2CID 5305762.
  5. ^ Register of Rhodes Scholars 1903-1995. Oxford: Rhodes Trust. 1996. p. 428. ISBN 0952769506.
  6. ^ a b "Cameron, Prof. Alexander John". Who's Who UK 2022. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U288261.
  7. ^ a b Brown, Graeme (25 February 2016). "Aston University appoints Australian academic as new vice-chancellor". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Higher education's most inspiring leader 2018 - the shortlist". The Guardian. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Alec Cameron". Aston University.
  10. ^ "Alec Cameron swaps Aston for RMIT". Times Higher Education (THE). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Aston University appoints new Vice-Chancellor | Aston University". www.aston.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
Academic offices
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of RMIT University
2022–
Incumbent
Preceded by Vice-Chancellor of Aston University
2016–2022
Succeeded by
Aleks Subic