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Fulbright professor shines light on passive radar

Fulbright Distinguished Chair Professor Douglas Cochran
Fulbright Distinguished Chair Professor Douglas Cochran

A visiting American professor will explain the significance of an innovative covert technology in a public lecture at Charles Darwin University next week.

Fulbright Distinguished Chair Professor Douglas Cochran will discuss the merits and challenges of “passive radar” and Australia’s prominence in the field.

Fulbright NT secretary Maryanne McKaige, from CDU’s Office of the Vice-Chancellor, said Professor Cochran’s presentation Passive Radar: An Electromagnetically Green Technology on Thursday 5 May promised to provide a fascinating insight into a highly specialist field.

“In simple terms, passive radar is a technology that exploits ambient radio-frequency illumination provided by televisions, radios and mobile phone towers,” Ms McKaige said.

“It provides some advantages over active radar, but also some challenges, as Professor Cochran will explain.

“He is an award-winning educator whose research interests are in the mathematical and statistical foundations of remote sensing.”

Ms McKaige said the Northern Territory’s connection with the prestigious Fulbright program had never been more productive.

“Three Territorians have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships this year including Monique Hurley, Hichem Demortier, and Northern Institute’s Professor Ruth Wallace, the first woman to be awarded the Fulbright Distinguished chair in Agriculture and Life Sciences Scholarship.

“Professor Wallace will soon depart for Kansas State University where she will build on her northern Australian research that has focused on engaging regional and marginalised communities in biosecurity identification and response systems.”

Ms McKaige said that in addition to the public lecture, a Fulbright Scholarship Information Session also would be held next week on 5 May.

“This will outline the different scholarship categories available including postgraduate, postdoctoral, senior, professional and Distinguished Chair as well as the Fulbright NT Scholarship and sponsored scholarships such as for VET and Indigenous scholars.”

Ms McKaige said scholarship recipients would spend between three and 12 months next year undertaking research or study in the USA.

The Fulbright NT Program on Thursday 5 May will be held in Lecture Theatre 1, Level 1, Building 1 Blue Precinct, Casuarina campus, as follows:

The Scholarship Information Session will run from 2.30pm to 3.45pm.

The free public lecture “Passive Radar: An Electromagnetically Green Technology” will run from 4pm to 5pm. The public is welcome to attend. 

Further information is available at W: cdu.edu.au/fulbright

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