2021 Australia Day Ambassador for Wollondilly Announced
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Engineer, inventor and technologist Professor Neil Weste has been announced as the 2021 Australia Day Ambassador for Wollondilly.
Professor Weste is the NSW Nominee for 2021 Senior Australian of the Year and was a key contributor in the development of Wi-Fi, making a significant impact in engineering excellence.
Wollondilly Mayor Robert Khan said, “Council and the community would like to welcome Professor Neil Weste as our Wollondilly Ambassador for 2021.”
“Professor Weste’s achievements are truly amazing and I looking forward to hearing him speak on Australia Day in January.”
From research at CSIRO and Macquarie University, Professor Weste designed the first commercial microelectronic circuits that implemented the Wi-Fi wireless networking standard.
These microchips provided a way to economically carry data over a radio signal, enabling wireless computing. In 1997, he and research partner Dr David Skellern founded Radiata Communications to commercialise the technology.
Throughout his career, Professor Weste has continued to demonstrate outstanding and consistent leadership at the frontier of telecommunications and microelectronics.
With 14 US patents to his name, he authored the textbook ‘Principles of CMOS VLSI Design ’in 1984. Now in its fourth edition, it is a bestseller as an undergraduate text and reference book in more than 600 institutions worldwide.
As a member of the AusIndustry Innovation, Research and Development Board, Professor Weste consulted in industry development policy, mentored many small Australian technology start-ups and has given lectures on innovation.
Wollondilly’s Australia Day celebrations will go ahead in January 2021, however they will look a little different. Keep an eye out on Council’s website and Facebook page for regular updates.