- Posted on 4 Nov 2024
- 5-minute read
Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle and Dr Jiayan Liao were awarded at the NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science and Engineering.

The NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science and Engineering recognise excellence and reward leading researchers for cutting-edge work that has generated economic, environmental, health, social or technological benefits for New South Wales.
University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle and Dr Jiayan Liao were awarded for their cutting-edge research in science and engineering.
Leadership in Innovation
Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle is an expert in nanotechnology, specialising in developing next-generation bioanalytical and imaging tools, as well as advanced detection techniques. Professor Esselle is a leader in electromagnetic, antenna and radio frequency engineering and is at the forefront of developing innovative antenna technologies for a wide range of applications.
Among his many research innovations, Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle has made significant contributions to satellite communication technology, aiming to close the divide between rural and regional NSW. Professor Esselle was awarded the 2024 Leadership in Innovation Premier's Prize.
Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle.
Distinguished Professor Karu Esselle.
Early Career Researcher of the Year (Physical Sciences)
Materials and biomedical scientistDr Jiayan Liao was awarded the NSW Premier’s Prize for Early Career Researcher of the Year (Physical Sciences) for her exploration of fundamental photophysical phenomena and the development of next-generation bioanalytical tools.
“By developing advanced nanophotonic and imaging technologies, we aim to understand the photophysical processes occurring in the nanoscale world and uncover the underlying mechanisms. Through the development and application of these nanoprobes, we strive to address some of the significant health challenges, particularly by enhancing the accuracy and accessibility of disease diagnostics with cutting-edge nanotechnology,” Dr Liao explains.