Andrew Parfitt
Andrew Parfitt | |
|---|---|
| 5th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Technology Sydney | |
| Assumed office 15 November 2021 | |
| Chancellor | Michael Rose[1] |
| Preceded by | Attila Brungs |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide (BE, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical engineering |
| Institutions | CRC Satellite Systems, CSIRO, Defence Science and Technology Group |
| Thesis | Substrate Supported Metal Strip Antennas for Monolithically Fabricated Millimetre Wavelength Arrays (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | Peter H. Cole |
Andrew James Parfitt is an Australian academic who is the 5th vice-chancellor and president of the University of Technology Sydney. He was appointed to the role in November 2021. He was previously the deputy vice-chancellor (academic) of the University of Newcastle from 2012 to 2016, and provost of the University of Technology Sydney from 2017 to 2021.
Early life and education
Andrew James Parfitt graduated with a BE (Electrical and Electronic) and PhD (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) from the University of Adelaide,[2][3] the latter in 1992. His PhD thesis was entitled "Substrate Supported Metal Strip Antennas for Monolithically Fabricated Millimetre Wavelength Arrays", and was overseen by Peter H. Cole.[4]. His position at Adelaide (to Senior Lecturer) was facilitated by Cole, and Parfitt never achieved the rank of Associate / Professor.[5]
Career
Parfitt was previously the CEO of CRC Satellite Systems and general manager of CSIRO space programs.[6][3] In 2004, he was appointed as the director of the Institute for Telecommunications Research at the University of South Australia. He has held adjunct academic positions at the University of Adelaide, University of Sydney, and Macquarie University.[6][3]
In December 2012, Parfitt was appointed as the deputy vice-chancellor (academic) of the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, New South Wales.[3] He remained in the role until 2016, when he was appointed as the next provost of the University of Technology Sydney.[6][2][3] He was the provost and senior vice-president of the University of Technology Sydney from 2017 to 2021.[6]
In November 2021, he was appointed as the fifth vice-chancellor and president of the University of Technology Sydney.[6] Parfitt's management performance, in particular his UTS restructure and staff reduction campaign, was criticised in a January 2026 article in the Australian Financial Review. Consulting firm Ernst Young has warned of risk management issues in the implementation of a large software project that he signed off on, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system costing $77 million.[7]
Other roles and activities
Parfitt was the chair of the Universities Admissions Centre from 2013 to 2019.[6]
Honours
Parfitt was a ministerial appointment to the Australian government's Space Industry Innovation Council from 2010 to 2012.[2] He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of Engineers Australia (EA).[2][3] He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering in 2021.[8]
References
- ^ "Chancellor". University of Technology Sydney. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026.
Michael Rose AM became Chancellor of UTS on 1 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Andrew Parfitt". University of Technology Sydney. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Top of an international pool". University of Newcastle. 19 March 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ Parfitt, Andrew (1992). Substrate Supported Metal Strip Antennas for Monolithically Fabricated Millimetre Wavelength Arrays (PhD). University of Adelaide.
- ^ Series 108 University of Adelaide Calendars (PhD). University of Adelaide.
- ^ a b c d e f "Space industry pioneer announced as new UTS Vice-Chancellor". University of Technology Sydney. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Cracks in VC's grandiose UTS restructure". Australian Financial Review. 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "Professor Andrew Parfitt FTSE". Australian Academy of Technology & Engineering. Retrieved 26 November 2021.