Usha Iyer-Raniga

Usha is a Professor at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University. She is also the Co-Lead of the United Nations One Planet Network’s (OPN) Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC), (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production aligned with SDG12.

Industry Experience:
Speaker, NCHU Green Campus Forum, 8 Jun 2023
Speaker, World Environment Day Luncheon, 17 May 2023
Speaker, Australian Manufacturing Week RMIT, 12 May 2023
Keynote, 14th International Conference on Environmental and Rural Development, 4 Mar 2023
Expert Panel Member, Relationship Between Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Goals, 8 Dec 2022
Keynote, SBEfin 2022 – Emerging Concepts for Sustainable Built Environments, 23-25 Nov 2022
Expert Panel Member, Circularity 2022 – Emission Reduction Opportunities: The Remaining 45%, 24 Nov 2022
Expert Panel Member, COP27 – Creating a Circular Built Environment: The Why and How, 14 Nov 2022
Keynote, International Summit “Build Sustainable: #BuildZero” – Chile Green Building Council, 26-28 Oct 2022
Keynote and Lead, AURECON Design Academy on Circular Economy, 24-25 Oct 2022
Presenter, ProSPER.Net General Assembly and Board Meeting, 19 Oct 2022
Co-lead, 10YFP Board Meeting Paris, 18-19 Oct 2022
Presenter, Rotary Club of Sydney Presentation on ‘What does Circular Economy mean to you’, 10 Oct 2022
Presenter, Workshop 2 Sustainable Urban Development, 5 Oct 2022
Presenter, Future of urban living: interview on sustainable and resilient urban living, 4 Oct 2022
Expert Panel Member, Breakthrough Victoria Challenge Launch, 30 Sep 2022
Expert Panel Member, Circular economy and the role of transport planning, 29 Sep 2022
Speaker, Driving value via circular economy, 28 Sep 2022
Expert, Barely Gettin’ By Podcast Interview, 20 Sep 2022
Speaker, From all-electric to sustainable homes and communities, 12 Sep 2022
Expert Panel Member and Speaker, EcologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference 2022, 6-7 Sep 2022
Expert, Christopher Wren Club, 5 Sep 2022
Expert Panel Member, Victorian Circular Activator Focus Group Workshop, 25 Aug 2022
Expert Panel Member, Circular Economy Integration for Built Environment Education, 28 July 2022
Expert Panel Member, Circular Economy Workshop by BUILT, 28 July 2022
Host and Speaker, Circular Economy Research Network (CERN), 14 July 2022
Member, ACTS Board Meeting 2022, 13 July 2022
Expert panellist, Universities Australia Conference, universities and climate change session, 6-7 July 2022
Chair, Circularity in the built environment and scientific committee member, CIB Conference 27-30 June 2022
Expert panellist, CIB W116 SASBE Seminar 2022, 25 May 2022
Expert panellist, Loops, Lattices, Systems: Circular Economy for the Building Industry, 25 May 2022
Expert panellist, DesignBUILD Total Facilities & Be Summit 2022, 10-13 May 2022
Expert panellist, A Carbon Neutral Society, May 13 to June 10, 2022
Lead, What Does Waste Mean to You? - Melbourne Knowledge Week, 11 May 2022
Academic expert: Study Australia Masterclass – Circularity in the Built Environment, 9th Feb 2022
Expert panel member: Homes from Waste Symposium Session 1, 3 Dec 2021
Expert panel member: Homes from Waste Symposium Session 2, 3 Dec 2021
Expert panel member: Sustainable Homes Challenge Team Pitches, 3 Dec 2021
Expert panel member, IURC, Dec 15 2021
Expert panel member: Homes from Waste Symposium, Dec 3 2021
Expert panel member: RICS symposium - Circling the square – the possibilities and promise of a circular built environment, 10 Nov 2021
Expert panel member: COP26 organised by WBCSD, 9 Nov 2021
Speaker: The Future of Cities is Circular, 5 Nov 2021
Expert panel member, GGGI Week October 21 2021
Facilitator: Beyond the Lab -Activating the Circular Economy in Australia, 13 Oct 2021
Panel member, The Ortus Club - Executive Knowledge Sharing, 7 July 2021
Expert panel member: A Greener Future, 8 July 2021
Academic expert, 4th PAGE Green Economy Academy, Towards a Green, Fair and Sustainable Recovery, 10-21 May 2021
Expert panel member, Green recovery policies: examples of green construction and energy efficiency, 11 May 2021
Chair, CEHub Roundtable, 22 April 2021
Australian Research Council Reviewer
Special Editor, Journal of Sustainability Research: Sustainable Development Research in Asia-Pacific
Special Editor, Sustainability: Circularity in the Built Environment
Scientific Committee, WSBE 20, Beyond 2020, Sweden 2020
Scientific Committee IBPSA 2020 Conference
Panel Judge, International Green Gown Awards 2020
Panel Judge, Participate Melbourne’s Open Innovation Competition
Panellist, Australia National Tech23Circular Economy
Advisor, The Open EdWork (TOE), India
Chair, Sustainable Development Research in the Asia-Pacific, 19-21st December 2019, MITS Gwalior. Following from the first sustainable development symposium in Australia.
Editor, Special Issue: International Journal of Sustainability Research.
Judge, Premier’s Sustainability Awards (ongoing).
Invited Speaker, Living Future Australia, Energy + Education Forum (June 2019).
Invited Speaker, Carlton Rotary Club. Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (May 2019).
Reviewer for Journals: Building Research & Information, Buildings, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, International Journal of Construction Management, Construction Management and Economics, Urban Policy and Research, Journal of Sustainable Building Technology & Urban Development, Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, EDG papers (AIA), Historic Environment (HE), International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES).
Who's Who in the World® 2016 (33rd Edition).
Inclusion of Usha’s biography in this Marquis authored edition, along with approximately 55,000 of the most accomplished men and women from around the world, including such luminaries as Grammy Award-winning singer Sam Smith, activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Co-Chair, Sustainable Development Research in the Asia-Pacific Symposium, July 2017, RMIT University.
Scientific Committee, Passive Low Energy Architecture Conference (PLEA).
World Green Building Council’s Panel Judge for the Asia Pacific Awards, 2016.
Trialogue 2047 on Urban Affordable Housing: Decoupling Material Resources, Development Alternative, 28th May 2016.
Invited Speaker, Low Carbon Developments, Indonesia, Sydney South East Asia Centre, May 13th, 2016 (presentation by Neville Hurst, co teacher for related study tour).
Member, Victorian Research Institute on Social Cohesion (RIOSC).
Invited Speaker, Energy Efficiency Working Group, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, 10-15 April 2016, Taiwan.
Lead/Co Lead, Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme, Sustainable Consumption and Production, 10 Year Framework, United Nations.
Lead, Flagship project on Built Environment Curricula, UNEP 10YFP SBC, 2016.
Keynote speaker: Conference Series on Life Cycle Assessment, AusBuildLCA, November 23-27, The 1st Life Cycle Assessment Conference for Building and Construction, November 26-27, Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens, Melbourne 2015.
RICS Initiative to Drive the Adoption of Sustainable Development Principles in Built Environment Higher Education Awarded to School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University 2015 (http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-education/academic-schools/property-construction-and-project-management/news/).
Invited Speaker, Best Practice in student mobility to Southeast Asia, organized by South East Asia Centre Initiative at the University of Sydney, Aug 2015.
Invited Member, State Industry Groups, Green Building Council of Australia, 2014-15.
Panel Judge, United Nations Association of Australia Awards 2015.
Scientific Committee Member, Building Simulation Conference 2015.
Statewide Industry Group panel (SIG) Green Building Council of Australia 2014-18.
Invited Speaker, Australia Pacific Association of International Education (APAIE), March 23-25, 2015.
Invited Speaker, Energy Efficient Buildings Workshop, Singapore Green Building Week, September 2014.
Invited Speaker, International Education Association of Australia, May 2014.
Invited Speaker, International Finance Corporation, Sustainability Capacity Building in the Built Environment, Jakarta, April 2013.
Invited Speaker, ProSPER.Net Workshop, Jogjakarta, July 2013.
Editorial Board member, IJFEM International Journal of Forensic Engineering and Management.
Scientific Committee member for CIB led, Sustainable Buildings Conference, Philippines November 2013.
Scientific Committee member for ARCOM Conference, Reading, September 2013.
Scientific Committee member, Building Simulation Conference 2013.
Expert Panel member, Planning Institute of Australia, Clean Energy Future, 2012
Organising Committee Member, AIRAH Preloved Buildings Conference, 2012
Organising Committee Member, AuSES Conference 2012
Reviewer for the Journal of Industrial Ecology
Reviewer for the AuSES organised Solar11 Conference
Reviewer for the Journal of Construction in Developing Countries
Expert Panel member, Planning Institute of Australia Clean Energy Future (CEF) 2012.
Invited Speaker, Inaugural Senior Executive Development Programme on Sustainable Buildings for Asia Pacific held in Singapore at the BCA Academy from October 8 - 10, 2012, BCA Centre for Sustainable Buildings (BCA CSB), a Centre Collaborating with UNEP, in partnership with the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).
Invited Speaker, Research Methods in Built Environment: Case studies, Presented at the National Association of Advanced Studies in Architecture Forum, Pune, India, July 2012.
Chair, Thriving Neighbourhood Conference 2012, Melbourne 12-14 November 2012.
Organiser and Scientific Committee member, Australian Solar Energy Society SOLAR 2012 “Golden Jubilee” 50th Annual Conference, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn Campus, Thursday 6th and Friday 7th December 2012.
Expert Panel member, Planning Institute of Australia, Clean Energy Future, 2012.
Invited Speaker, MahaCON India 2012.
Reviewer for IBPSA Conference, Building Simulation 2011
Reviewer for the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) EDG Papers
Reviewer for the Journal Historic Environment (HE)
Invited participant for Sustainability Victoria’s Education for Sustainability workshop, May 2011
Organising Committee member, Association of Building Sustainability Assessor Conference (ABSA) 2011 Conference, “Sustainability: Does it measure up?”
Invited Presenter at Engineers Australia- Society for Sustainability and Environmental Engineering (SSEE) Continuing Professional Development seminar in November 2011 on green buildings and sustainability.
Panel Chair and Organising Committee member Thriving Neighbourhoods Conference, November 2011.
Keynote Speaker at the MADD (Mites Asthma Domestic Design) Conference 2011 on 'Trends in the Built Environment: Past, Present and Future' in Sydney, 8-9 November 2011.
Invited Presenter 'Building Green: Sustainability in the context of museums and art galleries' was presented at the Regional & Public Galleries NSW 2011 Conference, entitled Currency: Resourcefulness, Relevance, Resilience, 30 October – 1 November 2011 in NSW.
Reviewer for Journal of Industrial Ecology.
Reviewer for the Journal of Construction in Developing Countries.
Reviewer for the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) EDG Papers.
Invited participant for Sustainability Victoria’s Education for Sustainability workshop, May 2011.
Organising Committee member, Association of Building Sustainability Assessor Conference (ABSA) 2011 Conference, Sustainability: Does it measure up?
Special contribution, 2010 Global Mayors Special Issue in conjunction with GLOBAL MAYOR Magazine.
Invited Panel “Less Red Tape, More Green Action”, Philips Sustainability Panel Discussion, Sydney, November 2010 organised by Niche Media.
Invited Expert for the Prime Minister’s Task Force Group Workshop Discussions on Energy Efficiency, April 2010.
Special contribution, 2010 Global Mayors Special Issue in conjunction with GLOBAL MAYOR Magazine.
Interview: Building materials use in residential construction, The Sunday Age, 27th June 2010.
Interview: Life cycle understanding of building materials, Sanctuary Magazine, October 2010.
Keynote speaker at the Australasian Registrar’s Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand, 2010.
Judge for the Yarra City Council Sustainability Award, 2010.