Wolfs packs a lot into 20 years
Published on 05 February, 2009
Departing academic Peter Wolfs has packed a lot into his 20 years of service to CQUniversity. He leaves with fond memories on his way to a new position with Curtin University.
During his time at CQUniversity, Peter has taught across the breath of the electrical and electronic engineering curriculum and held a number of administrative positions.
Most recently he has been the Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering & Health.
The energetic academic has lead a number of significant projects and secured more than $5 million in external funding to support both research projects and teaching and learning.
For example, Peter led the CQUniversity involvement in development of a coursework Masters in Electrical Power Engineering in collaboration with University of Queensland, QUT, Stanwell, Tarong Energy and CS Energy. The industry partners provided $1.5 million to support the development of high quality courseware to allow the rapid career progression of new graduates in the power industry. The Power generators program has now produced its first CQUniversity graduates and was nominated by industry for an Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Award at the Queensland State level in 2007.
Peter has also developed our relationship with PEA - an industry alliance that supports power engineering education in universities. He has secured a 50%:50% funding arrangement for a new power engineering lecturer and $200,000 to establish a Power Engineering Software laboratory. PEA provides a continuing stream of undergraduate bursaries.
Professor Wolfs was a part of the bid team that secured the first Railway CRC funding. In the first CRC he led the intelligent trains research theme and secured more than $1 million in project funding. This has resulted in 2 on-going commercialisation projects that continue at the Centre for Railway Engineering with State Development funding. The projects are in electronic train braking and train monitoring systems.
Peter worked with the project architects to specify the academic user requirements during the design and construction of the Rail Centre buildings. He wrote 2 major ARC Research Equipment and Infrastructure Fund (REIF) grants that funded much of the facilities within the railway vehicle testing laboratory.
In 1999, CQUniversity competed successfully in the World Solar Challenge and raced a solar car from Darwin to Adelaide. Peter led the team and secured the necessary sponsorship from our industry partners, notably Stanwell.
Peter was approached by Curtin University to take up the Western Power Chair. This is an industry-funded position established in a major collaboration with Western Power - the West Australian Power Distribution and Transmission provider. Peter will drive Western Power's research agenda in Intelligent or Smart Power Grids and manage Curtin's relationship with the power industry.
Trials of the OZECP brake system with Professor Bruce Kuhnell from Monash