Enigmatic engineer

The longest serving woman on the National Council of Engineers Australia (EA), as president elect for the year 2013 Dr Marlene Kanga will head the national professional association with 106,000 member engineers. Being associated with the National Council since 2007 she has contributed to strengthening governance and processes to ensure equal opportunity for professional development for all members.
The first chemical engineer to hold the post of national president she is also the first Asian born to have been conferred this honor. "I believe that it is important for all Australians and especially young people to understand that engineering is a dynamic, creative and innovative profession,” remarked Kanga, adding, "Engineering innovation is vital to modern life and for Australia to maintain its competitiveness as the 12th largest economy in the world.”
Kanga was chair of the Innovation Taskforce which prepared a report on Innovation in Engineering that was launched at the Australian Parliament House last June. "The aim of the report was to make Australians and the community more aware of the importance of engineering innovation and to engage proactively with the government in influencing policies relating to innovation in engineering,” she explains.
Her strategic initia­tives to "Attract, Re­tain, Support and Celebrate” women in the engineering profession has resulted in the fastest growing membership in this segment of EA. Besides being a Fellow of EA and Fellow of Engineers New Zealand, Kanga is a board member of the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists, and a founder member of the Asia Pacific Nation Network which mentors women engineering organizations in the region. She represents Australia at the World Federation of Engineering Organisations and is chair of a subcommittee for developing resources for increased resilience against natural disasters, especially in developing countries.
To her also goes the credit of being co-founder and director of iOmniscient Pty Ltd, a leading supplier of intelligent surveillance systems internationally. The company has developed patented software technology that has been installed for large airports, transportation and public infrastructure in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The company has more than 30,000 software licences installed in more than 20 countries with major customers including Qantas, Disneyworld and BP. International sales account for 90 percent of their revenue.
Her father being an engineer with the Indian Army who was routinely posted to different locations, Marlene grew up in various cities around India including Delhi and Bombay where she attended the Fort Convent School. She earned a coveted seat at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in chemical engineering, being only the second woman to earn her graduation from that reputed Institute. On December 30, 2012 she will be in Powai to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, "the first time this award has been given to a woman engineer,” she mentions.
She did her postgraduation from the Imperial College London in safety and risk engineering, winning the prestigious Diploma of Imperial College which is only given to high achievers who gain distinction. Subsequently she migrated to Australia with husband Rustom and completed her PhD at Macquarie University. Rustom too holds a PhD degree.
When they first arrived in Australia, the Kanga family was among a very small number of Parsi families in Sydney that eventually led to the formation of the Australian Zoroastrian Association. Whilst Marlene and Rustom make it a point to attend the Navroz and other religious functions organized by the Association, in earlier days when she had more time she would render her musical expertise to the children in staging plays and musical pantomimes. They have two sons, Zubin, a pianist of international fame and Jehan who conducts Madrigal and other concerts. In fact both had performances scheduled on the same day, October 24, when Zubin played at the Sydney Opera House and Jehan at the Sydney University.