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Mrs

Kuluni Millaniyage

Research Associate in Timber and Design

Architecture and Design

Orcid identifier0000-0002-3505-1401
  • Research Associate in Timber and Design
    Architecture and Design
  • Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW), University of Tasmania, Tasmania, 7248, Australia

BIO

Dr Kuluni Millaniyage is an experienced researcher and innovative timber products specialist with a demonstrated history of developing novel engineered timber products from plantation timber, quality assurance of prefinished timber flooring, analysis of standards and policies, social aspects and perceptions of timber use and sustainability criteria including carbon sequestration of timber. Kuluni has a diverse background in wood science and forestry research-led practice in both academia and industry. 

After completing her PhD at University of Tasmania, Kuluni currently works as a Casual Research Assistant at the Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW) at the University of Tasmania conducting research on timber use in Tasmanian buildings. Before moving to Tasmania to conduct her PhD, Kuluni obtained a specialised Bachelor's Degree in Forestry and Environmental Science from University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP), Sri Lanka. Her Bachelor research project was focused on identifying the best agro-ecological regions and host plant species for Sandalwood plantations in Sri Lanka which included plantation mapping and mensuration, distillation of timber resins, plant leaf nutrient analysis and Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques. After graduating she conducted her duties as a Demonstrator in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, USJP. After one year with USJP, she moved into an industry position as the Research Scientist in a maiden project developed by International Construction Consortiums Sri Lanka, where a prefinished timber flooring was developed from log to final product. Kuluni was responsible in conducting research and quality assurance of the complete production process including timber species selection, primary processing of flooring production and UV cured coating line. In her PhD, she conducted a multidisciplinary approach to determine the best method to develop a novel engineered timber flooring product using low-density plantation timber: Eucalyptus nitens. Her research incorporated methods obtained from disciplines of wood science, engineering, industrial design and social sciences to reach holistic conclusions.


Publications

Kuluni has published widely in wood science, engineered timber flooring performance, new timber product development, timber standards, and extraction of non timber forest products. Her research highlights the importance of using methods from multidisciplinary fields to determine the design and characteristics required in new timber product development signifying the importance of consumer perceptions, traditional knowledge, end user requirements and material characteristics towards the successful introduction of novel timber products to the market.


Education

Doctor of Philosophy New Engineered Timber Flooring Product Development for Low-Density Plantation Hardwood University of Tasmania Australia
2024
Bachelor of Science specialised in Forestry and Environmental Science, minor subjects Chemistry, Management (First Class Honours) University of Sri Jayewardenepura Sri Lanka 2014


Awards

Vice Chancellor’s Innovation Award 2022, University of Tasmania for outstanding contribution as a member of Transformation and CSAW Project Team in identifying suitable Tasmanian timber species for the heated flooring of newly built River’s Edge Building, Launceston, Tasmania.

Division of Chief Operating Officer Innovation Award 2022, University of Tasmania for contribution as a member of Transformation and CSAW Project Team in identifying suitable Tasmanian timber species for the heated flooring of newly built River’s Edge Building, Launceston, Tasmania.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) 2023 University of Tasmania Finalist, ‘What makes a good timber flooring species?’, https://www.utas.edu.au/research-admin/three-minute-thesis-3mt.

International Student of the Year (University) 2023 Finalist awarded by Study Tasmania, Department of State Growth Tasmania.

Scholarship awarded by Tasmanian Forest and Forest Products Network (TFFPN) to participate in 2023 I-LEAD women in industry workshop hosted for rising and established leaders in traditionally male-dominated industries and occupations in Tasmania, organised by Tasmanian Leaders Inc.

MEDIA

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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Demonstrator
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Forestry and Environmental Science, Colombo, Sri Lanka5 Jan 2015 - 30 Nov 2015
  • Casual Research Assistant
    University of Tasmania, CSAW, Hobart, Australia24 Dec 2021 - present

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Executive- Timber Processing
    ICC Sri Lanka, Timber Processing Facility, Colombo, Sri Lanka30 Nov 2015 - 27 Jul 2018
  • International Peer Leader
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia30 Dec 2020 - 26 Dec 2022
  • International Student Ambassador
    Department of State Growth, Hobart, Australia1 Dec 2021 - 30 Dec 2022

DEGREES

  • Bsc (special) in Forestry and Environmental Science
    University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Colombo, Sri Lanka2 Aug 2010 - 30 Dec 2014
  • PhD
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia20 Mar 2024 - 3 Jul 2024

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

  • Graduate Certificate in Research
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
    Other
  • Writing for Publications Course
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
  • Statistics with R Software Course
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
  • Three Minutes Thesis (3MT) Presentation
    University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia

LANGUAGES

  • English
    Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review
  • Sinhala; Sinhalese
    Can read, write, speak, understand and peer review

SCHOOL AND PORTFOLIO

  • School of Architecture and Design

FIELD OF RESEARCH