Eminent engineer

The Queen’s Birthday Honour List for 2014 named Dr Marlene Kanga as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). "The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent way Australians recognize the achievements and service of their fellow citizens,” notes the Australian government website www.itsanhonour.gov.au "The Australian honors system is considered unique as it is free of patronage or political influence” and anyone from the community can make nominations.
Kanga was made an AM for her "significant service to engineering, particularly through leadership roles in professional organizations, and as a role model,” stated the citation from the office of the Governor General of Australia. The honor includes a badge with a gold-plated silver insignia of the Order in the center on which is inscribed the word ‘Australia’ in gold capital letters. The insignia depicts the Crown of St Edward in full color. The circle contains two gold sprigs of mimosa whilst the royal blue ribbon from which the medal is hung bears a central band of mimosa blossoms.
Rated among the top 100 engineers of Australia in 2013 and 2014, Kanga was last year elected national president of Engineers Australia (EA), one of the largest engineering institutions in the world with more than 100,000 members. She is only the second woman to be national president of EA in its 95-year-history. She represents EA at the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) which includes 20 million engineers in almost 100 countries and is a member of the WFEO executive council and special advisor to the WFEO president for the Asia Pacific region.

Marlene Kanga selected for Member of the Order of Australia

Acclaimed as Professional Engineer of the Year 2014 by the Federation of Engineering Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, two years earlier she was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus by her alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, the first woman to be so honored by both these august bodies. Currently a board member of the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists, she was earlier the chairperson of the National Committee for Women in Engineering and had launched the Asia Pacific Nations Network for women engineers and scientists. When asked whether she has engineered her way to create a 26-hour day, she smiles, "I find great inspiration from Steve Jobs’ philosophy: the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
She is a member of the Board of Innovation Australia in the Department of Industry. Kanga is also chairperson of the Research and Development Incentives Committee which is the largest support program for innovation in industry. Being chairperson of the taskforce on innovation in engineering, her report was successfully launched at the Parliament House in 2012. She is a member of the Committee for Disaster Risk Management and is chairperson of a subcommittee for developing resources for increased resilience against natural disasters especially in developing countries. "Engineering innovation is vital to modern life and for Australia to maintain its competitiveness as an advanced economy,” stated Kanga who believes "it is important for all Australians and especially young people to understand that engineering is a dynamic, creative and innovative profession (see "Enigmatic engineer,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, December 7, 2012).”
A chemical engineer with extensive experience in the oil, gas, chemical and related industries with respect to risk and safety engineering, Kanga is considered an experienced business leader. Director of iOmniscient Pty Ltd which has developed patented software technology for intelligent video analytics systems, this software has been installed for large airports, transportation and public infrastructure in 20 countries, their major customers being big companies like Qantas, Disneyworld and British Petroleum. This year she was appointed a member of the Board of Sydney Water Corporation, the largest water utility in Australia.
After she completed her Bachelor of Technology in chemical engineering from IIT, she did her MSc in chemical engineering, specializing in industrial safety from the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London. She earned her doctorate in Business Administration from the School of Financial Studies at Macquarie University in Sydney. A Fellow of engineering institutes in Australia, New Zealand and India, Kanga has authored numerous papers.
Marlene and her husband Rustom (also a PhD) are well regarded in the Parsi community in Sydney and are the proud parents of Zubin, a pianist of international fame who holds a PhD from the Royal Academy of Music, University of London, and Jehan who conducts Madrigal and other concerts in Sydney whilst pursuing his PhD in chemistry at the University of Sydney.