Gavin Buskes

Professor Gavin Buskes is Professor - Education Specialist and Deputy Head (Academic) of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He earned his Bachelor of Science (Physics), Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Honours), and PhD from the University of Melbourne. His career at the university includes previous roles as Assistant Dean (Teaching and Learning) in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and Lecturer in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from 2008 to 2013. Buskes serves his second term on the national executive committee of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education and coordinates the Electrical Engineering Systems major in the Bachelor of Science.

Buskes has taught diverse subjects, from large undergraduate classes to Masters-level Electrical Engineering courses. His teaching excellence is recognized through awards including the Melbourne School of Engineering Award for Teaching Excellence, Edward Brown Award for Teaching Excellence, Universitas 21 Fellowship, GEM Scott Teaching Fellowship, national Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2020 Australian Awards for University Teaching), and School of Engineering, Mathematics and Information Emerging Leader Award. In engineering education research, he focuses on innovative curriculum design, technology-enhanced learning, student engagement in large classes, and assessing and improving student idea generation. His research impact includes Best Paper Award at the 2021 Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference and ELOS division Best Paper Award at the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education Conference. Key publications include "Improving students' metacognitive processes through predictive and reflective practices," "WIP: A 3D-printed speaker and audio system project for teaching interdisciplinary engineering design" (with Brian Krongold), "Transitioning an engineering classroom from traditional lectures to a partially-flipped format," and "Transforming energy and pedagogy – more than a metaphor" (2025, with Thomas Cochrane and Lionel Lam). Buskes has influenced engineering pedagogy through committee leadership and conference contributions.

Professional Email: g.buskes@unimelb.edu.au