Deakin researchers recognised as national leaders

Dr Kim Toffoletti, Associate Professor Rola Ajjawi, Alfred Deakin Professor Maria Forsyth, Professor Chee Peng Lim, Associate Professor Colin Higgins, Associate Professor Debdulal Mallick, Professor Gleb Beliakov, Associate Professor Ben Isakhan, Dr Richard Moulding, Professor David Boud and Dr Kristine Moruzi are among 250 researchers from Australian tertiary institutions recognised for having the highest number of citations from papers published in the 20 top journals in their field over the past five years.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Julie Owens congratulated the outstanding achievements of those recognised.

"These academics and their colleagues work long and hard to have our research recognised and rewarded in this way," Professor Owens said.

"It's especially heartening to see researchers from such diverse fields recognised as national leaders."

The Australian editors also named Australia's top research institution for each research field using similar criteria. This year, Deakin was recognised as the leading institution in the fields of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Chinese Studies and History (Humanities, Art and Literature); Artificial Intelligence, Manufacturing and Machinery and Fuzzy Systems (Engineering and Computer Science), and Higher Education and Teaching and Teaching Education (Social Sciences).

Deakin's 2020 field leaders include:

Alfred Deakin Professor Maria Forsyth – Field leader in Electrochemistry (Chemical and Material Sciences)

Professor Forsyth is Deputy Director of Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM). Her work focuses on understanding the phenomenon of charge transport at metal/electrolyte interfaces and within novel electrolyte materials. She also leads collaborative projects in lithium and sodium battery technologies funded through recent Australian Research Council grants.

Dr Kim Toffoletti – Field leader in Feminism and Women’s Studies (Humanities, Art and Literature)

Dr Toffoletti is Senior Lecturer in Sociology within Deakin's Faculty of Arts and Education, and is a leading figure and internationally recognised researcher in the study of women, sport and physical activity.

"It was a wonderful yet unexpected surprise being recognised as Australia's leading researcher in Feminism and Women's Studies. The community of feminist scholars in Australia are doing such vital work to support gender justice, and I feel honoured that my work can play a part," said Dr Toffoletti.

Associate Professor Rola Ajjawi – Science and Engineering Education (Social Sciences)

Associate Professor Ajjawi is an Associate Professor in Educational Research at the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE). Her research has shed light on social, relational and cultural influences on learning to promote student success.

Dr Kristine Moruzi – Field leader in Literature and Writing (Humanities, Art and Literature)

Dr Moruzi is a senior lecturer in Writing, Literature and Culture. Her research interests include children's and young adult literature, with a particular focus on the history of childhood and children's print culture. She is also interested in contemporary texts for young people, including representations of girlhood, sexuality, and the Gothic.

"It is both a surprise and an honour to have been named Australia's leading researcher in Literature and Writing. This success owes much to my colleagues at Deakin and elsewhere, who have been generous in providing collegial support over the years," said Dr Moruzi.

Associate Professor Ben Isakhan – Field leader in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies (Humanities, Art and Literature)

Associate Professor Isakhan is an Associate Professor of Politics and Policy Studies at Deakin University. He is globally recognised for his research on Middle East Politics and Heritage Destruction across the region.

"I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been named Australia's leading researcher in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, and I am indebted to the support of my colleagues in Politics, International Relations and Middle East Studies at Deakin University," said Associate Professor Isakhan.

Associate Professor Colin Higgins – Field leader in Ethics (Social Sciences)

Associate Professor Higgins is MBA Director in Deakin Business School. His research focuses on how business organisations use language in their social/environmental and sustainability reports, and how this shapes (and is also constrained by) institutional drivers in the environments where they operate.

Associate Professor Debdulal Mallick – Field leader in Economic Policy (Business, Economics and Management)

Associate Professor Mallick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics in Deakin Business School. Associate Professor Mallick's main areas of research are macroeconomics and development economics.

Professor Chee Peng Lim – Field leader in Artificial Intelligence (Engineering and Computer Science)

Professor Lim is a Professor of Complex Systems within Deakin's Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation. His research interests include computational intelligence, decision support, pattern recognition, medical prognosis and diagnosis, and fault detection and diagnosis.

"I am deeply honoured and privileged to have been named Australia's leading researcher in the field of Artificial Intelligence. This recognition is not for me; it goes to all colleagues and students at Deakin and other institutions, local and abroad, who have been working together diligently in AI research all these years," said Professor Lim.

Professor Gleb Beliakov – Field leader in Fuzzy Systems (Engineering and Computer Science)

Professor Beliakov has been at Deakin University since 1999. He leads Computational Intelligence and Data Analytics Research cluster, and several projects in the field of Computational Mathematics and Fuzzy Systems.

Dr Richard Moulding – Field leader in Health and Medical Sciences

Dr Moulding is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology, an endorsed clinical psychologist and member of the Clinical College of the Australian Psychological Society. His research includes investigating treatment and mechanisms for anxiety disorders, along with other disorders such as hoarding disorder, trichotillomania, and eating disorders.

Professor David Boud – Field leader in Higher Education (Social Sciences)

Professor Boud has been involved in research and teaching development in adult, higher and professional education for over 30 years and has contributed extensively to the literature. He is interested in how people learn and what can be done to foster their learning.

The Australian editors also named Australia’s top research institution for each research field using similar criteria. This year, Deakin was recognised as the leading institution in the fields of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and Chinese Studies and History (Humanities, Art and Literature); Artificial Intelligence, Manufacturing and Machinery and Fuzzy Systems (Engineering and Computer Science), and Higher Education and Teaching and Teaching Education (Social Sciences).

You can access the full PDF version of The Australian Research magazine here.