Rate My Professor Chamila Gunasekara

Dr. Chamila Gunasekara is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, where he has held academic positions since 2016. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from 2016 to 2021 and as a Lecturer from 2021 to 2023 before his promotion to Senior Lecturer in January 2024. His academic credentials include a B.Sc.Eng (Honours) from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, an M.Eng from Saitama University in Japan, and a doctoral degree from RMIT University in Australia. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Gunasekara gained five years of industry experience as a Structural Design Engineer at the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau in Sri Lanka from 2008 to 2013 and as a Civil Engineer (Construction) at MAGA Engineering Pte Ltd in Sri Lanka from 2007 to 2008. He is a Chartered Member of Engineers Australia (CPEng) and an ARC DECRA Fellow.

Dr. Gunasekara leads research in low-carbon concrete, construction materials, and structural engineering. His primary research interests focus on developing novel solutions for construction materials that incorporate waste materials and digital technologies, as well as enhancing sustainability in construction through smart built environments using information and communications technology. He has an international reputation in advanced materials characterisation using cutting-edge technology, developing innovative sustainable construction materials using reclaimed waste through nanoscience-based technologies, and engineering performance and modelling of low-carbon concretes. Dr. Gunasekara has received several awards, including the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) for 2023–2026, the RMIT Award for Research Engagement and Impact (Early Career Researcher) in 2023, and the STEM Industry and Engagement in Research Award from RMIT University in 2023. He serves as Partnership and Scientific Program Manager for the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transformation of reclaimed resources to engineered materials and solutions for a circular economy (TREMS) and is involved in other ARC initiatives focused on carbon-neutral infrastructure and net-zero building ecosystems. Dr. Gunasekara supervises numerous research projects on topics such as geopolymer composites, calcined clay concrete, textile-reinforced concrete, and sustainable applications of waste materials in construction.