Dr. Saaveethya Sivakumar

“When I first started pursuing my higher education at Curtin Malaysia, little did I imagine that I would end up pursuing a professional career with my alma mater. I had a remarkable experience as an undergraduate student, winning the university’s Keysight Technologies Best Electronic Communication Graduate Award in 2015, and this motivated me to pursue a PhD in Mechatronics Engineering.

“Now, as an academic, I am involved in developing STEM skills among students at their early learning stages. I also coordinate industry and external relations, especially in relation to internships for undergraduate students.

“My goal for the future is to help improve the wellbeing of society, especially in the field of healthcare technology. For my PhD, I developed a novel approach to monitoring lower body walking motion using foot insole sensors. The work was published in Scientific Report by Nature, one of the world’s leading publishers for multidisciplinary sciences.

“Aside from my professional career, I am an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE. I started as a student member with IEEE Curtin University Malaysia and have continued being involved in the worldwide organisation for 9 years. In 2021, I became the first female to be appointed IEEE Region 10 Asia Pacific Young Professionals Committee Chair. Globally, I am chair of the Student to Young Professionals Transitions Committee of the MGA Student Activities Committee. Also in 2021, I was awarded the IEEE MGA Young Professionals Achievement Award, which is the highest recognition by IEEE under the Young Professionals category.” –Dr. Saaveethya Sivakumar, Curtin Malaysia graduate and Electrical & Computer Engineering lecturer

1 January 2022