Emeritus Professor
Citation delivered by Professor Joe Chicharo OM, Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Growth and Global), at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of Sarath Perera as an Emeritus Professor on 20 April 2026.
Vice-Chancellor, I present to you Professor Sarath Perera.
A distinguished academic career is measured not only by research achievements, but by the influence it leaves on the community and the discipline it serves.
Over more than four decades, Professor Sarath Perera has exemplified this ideal through his sustained contribution to power engineering education, research and industry engagement at the University of Wollongong.
Professor Perera joined the University of Wollongong in 1988 within the School of Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering. His career has been closely aligned with the Australian Power Quality Research Centre, of which he was a founding member and long-standing leader.
From 2004 until his retirement in 2021, Professor Perera served as Technical Director of the Centre, following eight years as Assistant Technical Director. Under his leadership, the Centre grew to be recognised as one of the pre-eminent power quality research groups in Australia, with a strong international reputation and deep, sustained partnerships with industry. His contribution to research collaboration was recognised in 2011 with a Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Partnership.
Professor Perera’s impact as an educator has been equally significant.
He played a leading role in shaping power engineering curriculum at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, modernising laboratory infrastructure and ensuring programs remained aligned with current industry practice. He was a key driver in the development of the Master of Power Engineering program, designed to deliver industry-relevant learning through close engagement with experienced practitioners.
As a generous and dedicated mentor, Professor Perera has been involved in the supervision and co-supervision of nearly 40 doctoral and research master’s candidates. His approach to supervision was guided by a strong personal philosophy of teaching and knowledge sharing.
Professor Perera also played a key role in bringing major international power engineering conferences and industry technical forums to Wollongong, strengthening the University’s global standing and fostering collaboration across the Australasian power engineering community.
These initiatives helped position Wollongong as a recognised hub for power quality research and professional exchange, supporting enduring partnerships between academia, industry and the engineering profession.
Through sustained excellence in scholarship, education and service, Professor Perera has made a lasting contribution to the University of Wollongong and to the field of power engineering.
Vice-Chancellor, it is my privilege to present Professor Sarath Perera for admission as an Emeritus Professor.