Dr Muneera Bano

https://people.csiro.au/b/m/muneera-bano

Biography

Muneera Bano is an award-winning scholar and impassioned advocate for gender equity in the STEM fields. In 2019, she was awarded the title of ‘Most Influential Asian-Australian Under 40,’ an absolute honour and recognition of her exceptional work and remarkable achievements. As a 'Superstar of STEM' for Science and Technology Australia, Muneera is dedicated to breaking down societal barriers and reshaping attitudes towards scientists from diverse backgrounds.

Muneera's leadership and commitment to promoting inclusion and diversity in STEM have been recognized globally. In 2021, she was honoured by the Government of Pakistan as an under-40 leader in science and innovation, including in the 'Foreign Minister's Honour List'. She is celebrated for her extraordinary contributions to science and innovation, and her pioneering efforts in advancing equity and inclusion in STEM in Australia. Muneera's deep-rooted commitment to diversity and inclusion has led her to champion women in STEM fields. She is a sought-after speaker, accomplished writer, and vocal advocate for #WomenInSTEM.

Throughout her career, Muneera has garnered numerous accolades for her work, including being a finalist for 'Google Australia’s prestigious Anita Borg Award for Women in Computer Science', Asia-Pacific 2015. She was also the recipient of Schlumberger’s esteemed Faculty For The Future (FFTF) Award for Women in STEM in 2014 and 2015. She earned the ‘Distinguished Research Paper Award’ at the International Requirements Engineering Conference in 2018 for her work in Educational Pedagogies for Requirement Engineering. She was nominated for "The Most Disruptive Woman Award by AWS" at the WOMEN IN TECH®- Global Movement APAC 2023 Awards, and the finalist in Women in AI Awards APAC 2024 in 'AI for Social Good'.

In recognition of her contributions, Muneera was granted the Dr. John Yu Fellowship for ‘Cultural Diversity and Leadership’ at Sydney University in 2019, and the ‘Pathways to Politics’ leadership program by Melbourne University in 2021.

Muneera graduated with a PhD in Software Engineering from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2015. Since then, she has held positions as a post-doctoral researcher and ‘Learning and Teaching Adjunct’ at UTS. Her focus is on the intersection of computers and humans, specifically exploring ways to engineer technology to better serve people's needs. Muneera has authored nearly 50 articles in prestigious international journals and conferences within the software engineering field. Her passion and interest in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Diversity and Inclusion guide her research in socio-technical domains of software engineering that focus on human-centered technologies. Currently, she serves as a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO's Data61, focusing on projects related to responsible AI and promoting diversity and inclusion within the AI field.

Academic Qualifications

2015

Ph.D. Software Engineering
University of Technology Sydney
2019

Cultural Diversity and Leadership - Dr John Yu Fellowship
Sydney University
2022

Graduate Certificate for Higher Education (Teaching and Learning)
Deakin University
2022

Pathways To Politics (Certification)
Melbourne University
2022

Multicultural Communities Leadership in Action Program (Certification)
Victorian Multicultral Commission

Achievements and Awards

August 2018-August 2018

Distinguished Research Paper Award
Internaitonal Requirements Engineering Conference - Banff Canada
December 2018-July 2021

Superstars of STEM
Science & Technology Australia
September 2019-September 2019

Overall Winner Under-40 Most Influnetial Asian-Australian Leader
AsiaLink, Melbourne Unviersity, ANU
14 August 2021-14 August 2021

Pakistan Foreign Minister’s Honour List
Pakistan Foreign Office
November 2021-November 2021

Muslim Women in STEM - Australia
Muslim Women Acknowledging Women
October 2023-October 2023

Nomination: The Most Disruptive Woman Award by AWS
WOMEN IN TECH®- Global Movement APAC 2023 Awards
March 2023-March 2023

Women of Influence
Urban Vegas - International Women's Day 2023
May 2024-June 2024

Finalist: AI for Social Good
Women in AI APAC Awards 2024

Current Roles

Senior Research Scientist
Co-Lead Diversity and Inclusion in AI

Professional Experiences

November 2019-July 2022

Senior Lecturer Software Engineering
Deakin University
August 2017-November 2019

Lecturer Software Engineering
Swinburne University of Technology
October 2015-June 2017

Post-doc researcher/Research Associate
University of Technology Sydney