Biography:
Michael completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree with Honours in the Faculty of Engineering in 1982 at the University of Adelaide and a PhD in Physics in 1992 at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.

Dr Michael Webb
Senior Research Fellow

Telephone: +61 8 8313 0128
E-mail: m.webb@adelaide.edu.au

Michael joined the Centre for Defence Communications and Information Networking (CDCIN) at the University of Adelaide in July 2008 where he is a Senior Analyst. His current interests include the measurement and modelling of: (1) communication and information network performance, and (2) human performance in C3 contexts (individually and as teams). He is also currently writing up a Masters by research thesis in cognitive psychology.

Michael worked for the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) from 1988 to 2008 and prior to this for a number of companies in private industry. Michael has held the following positions in DSTO: Science Advisor to DEF project 21 (seconded to the Defence Signals Directorate); Head of the Distributed Enterprises Group of the Command and Control Division; Team Leader for the multi-divisional team undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the communications and information systems support for command and control within the Middle-East Area of Operations (included a 6 week tour of Australia operations in Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, UAE and Afghanistan in 2006); Secretariat or the 4CI Thematic Working Group in National Security; and Head of the Distributed Enterprises Discipline of the C3I Division.

Key achievements of Michael’s include:

• the deployment of a network of Command and Control Battlelabs in 6 operational environments (various HQs and the ADF Warfare Centre);
• the establishment of a research program in human decision making for C2;
• the development and publication of new modelling techniques for eliciting significant individual differences in human decision making;
• the leadership of work in information management for Defence Preparedness;
• the leadership of the development of a distributed planning capability for the counter-terrorist exercise program run by the Attorney-General’s Department;
• the development of system models of Australia’s signals intelligence system;
• the successful leadership of the AEW&C Capability Study in 1994;
• the evaluation of the radar cross section of the Harpoon missile, the F-111 and the Mark 92 Fire Control Radar Antenna of the FFG;
• the design and development of the world’s highest performing millimetre wave circulator and the world’s first millimetre wave spatial light modulator;
• and the design of the multi-lobe VHF receive antenna array at Jindalee.

Prior to employment with DSTO Michael worked as a design engineer in video electronics, specialised design and antenna manufacture, hi-fi loudspeaker design and manufacture, electrical power distribution systems and RF circuit design.