Dr Keith Joiner, CSC, PhD, MSc, MMgmt, BEng(Aero), CPPD, CPEng, MAIPM, MIEAust

Dr Joiner joined the Air Force in 1985 and became an aeronautical engineer, project manager, and teacher over a 30-year career before joining the University of New South Wales in 2015 as a senior lecturer in test and evaluation. From 2010 to 2014, he was the Director-General of Test and Evaluation for the Australian Defence Force, where he was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross. He was responsible for Defence-wide test and evaluation policy, ensuring all new capability submissions to Government had test plans, for conducting trials on all proposed new capabilities (prototypes and off-the-shelf), and operational field evaluations for new Army and joint capabilities. During his tenure in this role, he testified to the Senate Inquiry into Defence Procurement (2012) and was tasked by the Service Chiefs with developing and implementing new reforms in test and evaluation. Dr Joiner has completed a number of post-graduate degrees, including a Master of Science in Aerospace Systems Engineering with distinction through Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, a PhD in Calculus Education, and a Master of Management. In previous roles, he was a design engineer for aircraft and missiles, a project engineering manager, a chief engineer for several aircraft types, and a base commander for an airfield and domestic infrastructure. In 2009, he did wartime service as a plans officer in Baghdad for the Multi-National Force Iraq, where he was awarded a United States Meritorious Service Medal for his work developing drawdown plans. He is a Certified Practising Engineer with the Institute of Engineers Australia and a Certified Practising Project Director with the Australian Institute of Project Management. In all his roles, he has worked extensively with Defence scientists, sponsoring, conducting, and trialling experiments and research, including recent important human factors and anthropometric work for future submarines and combat vehicles.