Biography: Professor Elizabeth Croft is Provost and Vice President Academic at the University of Victoria. Originally from Canada, she completed a B.A.Sc. (University of British Columbia), a M.A.Sc. (University of Waterloo), and a Ph.D. (University of Toronto) in Mechanical Engineering.

Professor Croft is recognised internationally as an expert in the field of human-robot interaction. Her work advances the design of intelligent controllers and interaction methods that underpin how people and autonomous, collaborative systems can work together in a safe, predictable, and helpful manner. She has led large-scale collaborative research projects utilising robots alongside people in manufacturing and guided multidisciplinary initiatives with automotive and aerospace industry partners.

Her outstanding contributions to education and research have earned Professor Croft considerable acclaim, including the Accelerator Award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (2007), the Alan Blizzard Award, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2008, WXN’s top 100 most powerful women in Canada 2014 and the RA McLachlan Award - the peak career award for Professional Engineers in the Province of British Columbia in 2018. She is a fellow of the American Society of Engineers, the Institute of Engineers Australia, Engineers Canada, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.