Emeritus Professor Joseph Lai holds the position of Emeritus Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales. He served as Associate Dean (International) at UNSW Canberra from May 2012 to December 2016, Associate Dean (Research) from January 2004 to April 2012, and Head of the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from March 2001 to June 2003. He advanced through the ranks from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor in Mechanical Engineering at UNSW from 1985 to 2016, teaching courses in acoustic noise, aerodynamics, chaos and non-linear dynamics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, structural vibration, and thermodynamics. Earlier in his career, he was Lecturer and Research Fellow at the University of Queensland from 1980 to 1985. He has held visiting appointments as Professor at UCLA in 2006, Professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School in 1996, and Visiting Research Associate at the University of Houston in 1988. Professor Lai was elected Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia in 1993, is a Fellow of the Australian Acoustical Society, and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Professor Lai's research specializes in turbulent shear flows and acoustics and vibration control, with expertise in flapping wing aerodynamics for propulsion and power generation, computational and experimental studies of turbulent shear flows, acoustics and vibration control, noise of electric motors, brake squeal, and vibro-acoustic studies of termite foraging behaviour. His current work focuses on the aerodynamic propulsive mechanism of flapping wings applied to micro-aerial vehicles and high-altitude long-endurance vehicles, wind and wave power generation, and vibro-acoustic communication in termites. He has attracted over $3 million in external research funding over the last decade. His prolific publication record includes 194 journal articles, 188 conference papers, 11 books, 6 book chapters, and 1 edited book. Notable works include the book Noise of Polyphase Electric Motors (2006); 'Termite Vibration Sensing: The Chordotonal Organs and Their Appendages' (2025, Ecology and Evolution); 'The evolution of vortices determines the aeroacoustics generated by a hovering wing' (2024, Journal of Fluid Mechanics); 'Self-excited oscillations of three-dimensional collapsible tubes conveying both laminar and turbulent flows' (2024, Physics of Fluids); and 'Streamline penetration, velocity error, and consequences of the feedback immersed boundary method' (2022, Physics of Fluids).

Professional Email: j.lai@adfa.edu.au