Svetha Venkatesh
{{Short description|Indian computer scientist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Svetha Venkatesh is an Indian computer scientist who is one of the top 15 women in the world in Artificial Intelligence.{{Cite web|date=2019-10-29|title=Professor Svetha Venkatesh ranked in the top 15 women working in AI|url=https://a2i2.deakin.edu.au/2019/10/29/professor-svetha-venkatesh-ranked-in-the-top-15-women-working-in-ai/|access-date=2021-01-20|website=A²I² Artificial Intelligence at Deakin|language=en-AU}} She is Indian/Australian and is an Alfred Deakin Professor in the Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environments,{{cite web |url=http://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/careers-at-deakin/your-employer-of-choice/alfred-deakin-professor |title=Alfred Deakin Professor |website=Deakin University}} in the Department of Pattern Recognition and Data Analytics at Deakin University, as well as a professor of computer science and director of the Centre for Pattern Recognition and Data Analytics (PRaDA) at Deakin.
Venkatesh has developed new technologies in large-scale pattern recognition in big data.{{cite news |title=Andrea Morello, Cyrille BoyerIan Frazer, Ryan Lister, Ian Reid, Nalini Joshi and the STEM heroes |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-deal-magazine/andrea-morello-cyrille-boyerian-frazer-ryan-lister-ian-reid-nalini-joshi-and-the-stem-heroes/news-story/1e2bfacab177824cbff16866208efef4 |newspaper=The Australian |date=11 December 2015}} Her work has led to start-ups such as iCetana which finds anomalies through video analytics to detect potential security threats in large data sets; the development of a health analytics program which enables doctors to predict suicide risk;Lin, Anne. (29 July 2014). "[http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/07/29/can-computers-stop-suicides Can computers stop suicides?], Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 19 August 2016. and PRaDA's development of the Toby Playpad app which provides therapy for children with autism.Foreshew, Jennifer. (4 October 2011). "[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/learning-tool-designed-for-autistic-kids/story-e6frgakx-1226157591501 Learning tool designed for autistic kids]", The Australian. Retrieved 19 August 2016.{{cite AV media |people=Natasha MItchell interviews Svetha Venkatesh and Silvana Gaglia |date=8 October 2012 |title=Toby Playpad: Autism therapy |medium=Radio broadcast |url=http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2012/10/lms_20121008_0905.mp3 |format=mp3 |time= |location= |publisher=ABC Radio National |access-date=}} Her work on using surveillance data led to the development of a "virtual observer" which was used after the 2005 London bombings.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/computers-model-human-behaviour/3131782 |title=Computers model human behaviour |date=6 June 2009 |website=ABC Radio National}}
In addition to her research, in 2015 she founded [https://spark.deakin.edu.au/about/ SPARK Deakin] - Deakin University's flagship entrepreneurship program.
Recognition
Based on gender diversity analysis of 1.5m research papers, Venkatesh is one of the top 15 women in the world contributing to artificial intelligence research.{{Cite web|title=Gender Diversity in AI Research|url=https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/gender-diversity-ai/|access-date=2020-07-27|website=nesta|language=en}}
She was elected a Fellow of the International Association of Pattern Recognition in 2004 for her contributions to the "formulation and extraction of semantics in multimedia data"."[http://www.iapr.org/fellowsandawards/?ar=2 IAPR Fellows]", International Association of Pattern Recognition. Retrieved 19 August 2016. She was also elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2006"[https://cresp.edu.au/people/professor-svetha-venkatesh Professor Svetha Venkatesh]" NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention. Retrieved 19 August 2016. and an ARC Laureate Fellow in June 2017.{{cite news |date=5 June 2017 |title=Deakin celebrates: ARC Laureate Fellowship for Svetha Venkatesh |url=http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/research-news/articles/deakin-celebrates-arc-laureate-fellowship-for-svetha-venkatesh |access-date=21 January 2018 |work=Deakin University}} She was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2018{{Cite web |date=2024-02-19 |title=Professor Svetha Venkatesh |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/professor-svetha-venkatesh |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=State Government of Victoria |language=en-au}} and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in May 2021.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-25 |title=Twenty-two Australians recognised among our nation's most distinguished scientists {{!}} Australian Academy of Science |url=https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/news-and-media-releases/twenty-two-australians-recognised-among-nations-distinguished-scientists |access-date=2021-09-23 |website=www.science.org.au |language=en}}
Venkatesh delivered the 2015 Harrison Lecture for Innovation."[http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/story?story_id=2015/11/10/looking-beyond-big-data Looking beyond Big Data]", Deakin University. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
In November 2024 the Pearcey Foundation awarded Venkatesh the 2024 Pearcey Medal in recognition of a distinguished lifetime of achievement and contribution to the development and growth of the Australian ICT industry.{{Cite web |title=2024 Pearcey Medal |url=https://www.pearcey.org.au/awards/national/pearcey-medal/2024-pearcey-medal/ |access-date=2025-03-31 |website=The Pearcey Foundation |language=en}}
Personal life
Venkatesh's son, Akshay, a mathematician specialising in number theory and related topics,{{cite web |last1=Akshay |first1=Venkatesh |title=Akshay Venkatesh home page |url=http://math.stanford.edu/~akshay/ |website=Dept of Mathematics, Stanford University |publisher=Stanford University |accessdate=2 August 2018}} was one of the four Fields Medal winners in 2018.[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-02/fields-medal-aussie-genius-akshay-venkatesh-mathematics-prize/10062218 Fields Medal: Aussie genius Akshay Venkatesh wins 'Nobel Prize of mathematics'], Michael Slezak, ABC News Online, 2018-08-02 She is based in Geelong, Victoria.
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References
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External links
- [https://svethav.github.io/ Website]
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Category:Artificial intelligence researchers
Category:Academic staff of Deakin University
Category:Fellows of the International Association for Pattern Recognition
Category:Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Category:Australian women scientists
Category:Australian women academics