Professor Vicky Mak-Hau is a Professor of Mathematics and Optimisation at Deakin University whose research focuses on optimisation, operations research, artificial intelligence, and data analytics for complex real-world decision-making problems. She leads the Advancing Optimisation for Future Challenges Research Program, with applications across transportation, logistics, energy, defence, satellite communications, and healthcare. She has led multidisciplinary teams of researchers, software engineers, and industry partners to develop innovative decision-support, simulation, and optimisation systems that address complex real-world challenges.

Professor Mak-Hau obtained her PhD in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Melbourne in 2002 and completed postdoctoral fellowships at CSIRO and the University of Melbourne before joining Deakin University in 2004. She has served as a Chief Investigator on multiple Australian Research Council projects and has secured significant research funding from both government and industry.