Since retiring, Graeme comments that he has had a lot of fun working on a voluntary basis with a group led by Ying Chen. This group has, as one of its aims, the spread of technical knowledge among Primary and Middle School Students using a robotics program that introduces building and programming skills. Seeing the success achieved by students mentored with this program has been a continuing delight, and Graeme says he feels privileged to be associated with this group.
Before retiring, the last 1/3 of his working life was lecturing at various Universities in Computer Science, Information Systems and Engineering subjects. To make continued teaching at the University possible, he picked up a Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence.
In the middle 1/3 , Graeme was a full-time single parent caring for his children. During this time he had part-time subject teaching in Primary & Secondary Schools, Technical College, Adult Education and four University Departments. This included teaching using the first commercially available teaching robot, the Tasman Turtle, and being the first lecturer in the University of Tasmania to video a lecture course to make it available to part-time students (via VHS tapes in the Library), both of these during the in the mid-1980s. During this time Graeme also accidentally qualified for an Arts Degree majoring in Psychology, with particular interests in counseling, education and the way young children’s brains develop.
In the first third of his working life Graeme worked as an Engineer with an Electricity Authority that produced all the electricity for Tasmania with effectively nil carbon output. His Engineering degree specialty was mechanical/electrical engineering. His first computer program, written in Algol 60 on an Elliott 503 in 1964, was a simulation of a valley-crossing 3-tower cable-way controlled by hydraulic motors.
Graeme also spent two years in S.E. Asia working as a volunteer with the Australian Volunteers Abroad program.
Graeme was a finalist in the Tasmanian Division of “Senior Australian of the Year”, and has been awarded the Pride of Australia Inspiration Medal for teaching, and Life Membership of the Tasmanian Association for the Gifted for his work with robotics.
Dr. Faulkner’s academic qualifications are B.E., B.A., Ph.D., M.I.E.Aust., M.I.E.E.E., CPEng (Ret)