Dr Dia Adhikari Smith

Research Fellow/Senior Researc

School of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Research Fellow

School of Civil Engineering
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology

Overview

Dr Dia Adhikari Smith is the Tritium E-Mobility Research Fellow at The University of Queensland’s Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation (School of Chemical Engineering) and the Transport Engineering Group (School of Civil Engineering). Her current research focusses on advancing the performance, economics, and uptake of E-Mobility globally, with a particular focus on the decarbonisation of both on-road and non-road heavy vehicles used in transport, construction, and mining sectors in Australia. Dia’s research expertise in low and zero emission heavy vehicles, powered by electric, hydrogen and advanced biofuels, has been demonstrated through several industry and government engagements to deliver decarbonisation feasibility studies, emissions modelling, cost benefit analyses, total cost of ownership scenarios and developing strategic roadmaps and recommended policy packages to achieve net zero emissions. Dia has a PhD in Power and Energy Systems Engineering from Glasgow Caledonian University, UK and worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply, Cardiff University, UK and as a Lecturer at the Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, USA.

Dia's postdoctoral research experience, at Cardiff University, involved in-depth research to investigate Smart Grid network assessment and planning methodologies that would consider type, extent, and pathway of various smart, innovative, and sustainable technology interventions (renewable energy sources, distributed generation, battery storage, electric vehicles, and hydrogen). Dia has worked on different quantitative and qualitative research methods to analyse the factors affecting the diffusion of low and zero emission technologies in the UK and conducted feasibility studies to evaluate the inhibiting factors for Smart Grid transition within the building industry (smart sustainable houses) and the mining sector (electric heavy vehicles, renewable energy sources, and energy storage) in the perspective of users, energy experts, energy providers, respective industries, policymakers, regulators, and the government. Dia's research projects involved close collaboration with Academia, Government and Industry to propose strategic guidelines, evaluate policies, and publish joint work-stream reports, for the successful diffusion of zero-emission technologies and renewable energy systems.

Research Interests

  • low and zero emission road-freight transport
    low and zero emission road-freight vehicles, powered by electric, hydrogen, and advanced biofuels
  • construction site decarbonisation
    low and zero-emission technologies that could drive the transition to fossil-fuel free and ultimately zero emission construction sites
  • decarbonisation of heavy vehicles
    decarbonisation of both on-road and non-road heavy vehicles used in transport, construction, and mining sectors

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Glasgow Caledonian University
  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, University of Sussex

Publications

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Publications

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs