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Ralph Horne

Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, College of Design & Social Context, RMIT University, RMIT University
Ralph Horne is the Deputy PVC, Research and Innovation for the College of Design and Social Context at RMIT University. He supports research performance through the development of new and existing research Groups and Centres, mentoring future research leaders, and providing strategic leadership in support of research activity across the College.
Ralph enjoys a wide network of industry partnerships. He has acted as Chief Investigator in over 100 industry-linked research projects across the built environment, urban sustainability and social change since 2005. He has also held the following current and recent relevant non-academic roles:

2014–present: Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation, RMIT University
2010–2013: Director, Green Building Council of Australia.
2008–2012: Council member, Built Environment Industry Innovation Council, Commonwealth Government, Australia.
2005–2012: Director, Centre for Design, RMIT University, Australia.

Soft plastics, glass bins and bans on compostable liners: will Victoria’s new recycling proposal be a step forward?

Aug 06, 2024 22:51 pm UTC| Business

In recent years, the question of what to do with our household waste has become more pressing. In 2018, China stopped accepting many types of recyclable plastic waste from Australia. Four years later, Australias main soft...

Why knock down all public housing towers when retrofit can sometimes be better?

May 24, 2024 10:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

The Victorian government is planning Australias largest urban renewal project. The plan is to knock down and rebuild 44 large public housing towers in Melbourne. The government says these towers, built in the 1960s and...

1 in 4 households struggle to pay power bills. Here are 5 ways to tackle hidden energy poverty

May 02, 2023 15:29 pm UTC| Economy

One in four Australian households are finding it hard to pay their gas and electricity bills. As winter looms, energy price rises will make it even harder. Cold homes and disconnections resulting from energy poverty...

We need a 'lemon law' to make all the homes we buy and rent more energy-efficient

Apr 27, 2023 08:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Real Estate

A long-awaited increase in energy-efficiency requirements for new homes is part of revised Australian construction standards taking effect on May 1. All new homes must achieve a minimum 7-star whole-of-home energy rating...

We can't keep putting apartment residents' waste in the too hard basket

Mar 04, 2023 12:16 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The harsh realities of managing the waste we produce are in the news: councils shunning new glass bins, more plastic being produced per person in the world and Sydney bins overflowing. And the growth in apartment living in...

Stimulus that retrofits housing can reduce energy bills and inequity too

Jun 04, 2020 12:19 pm UTC| Economy

Stay-at-home orders and the economic crisis have increased the burden of energy costs on lower-income Australians. Poor housing quality and unequal access to home energy efficiency are hurting our most vulnerable...

Economy

Dollar Holds Near Two-Month High as Yen Approaches 160

The U.S. dollar remained near a two-month high on Friday, supported by rising Treasury yields and expectations of additional Federal Reserve rate hikes, while the Japanese yen hovered near the closely watched...

Gold Holds Near $4,275 as Rising Treasury Yields Fuel Fed Rate Hike Bets

Gold prices were largely unchanged on Friday but remained headed for a weekly loss of more than 3% as rising U.S. Treasury yields and elevated energy prices strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve could raise...

Japanese Bank Stocks Surge as Bond Yields Fuel Rate Hike Bets

Japanese bank stocks rallied on Friday as surging government bond yields and expectations for further Bank of Japan interest rate hikes strengthened the outlook for lenders profit margins. Shares of Mizuho Financial Group,...

Asian Stocks Fall as Surging Bond Yields Rattle Markets

Asian stocks mostly declined on Friday as a global bond market selloff drove long-term U.S. Treasury yields to multi-year highs, pressuring risk appetite across regional markets. Investors were also assessing the outcome...

Fed Unveils Stablecoin Rules Under GENIUS Act

The Federal Reserve has proposed a broad regulatory framework for payment stablecoin issuers, moving forward with implementation of the GENIUS Act and efforts to bring dollar-backed digital assets further into the...

Politics

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Plan Urgent Defence Talks Over Houthi Attacks

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are preparing an urgent high-level defence meeting to discuss support for the kingdom as Houthi missile and drone attacks intensify across Saudi territory. The talks will be held under the...

Ukrainian Drone Attacks Hit Russian Regions, Injuring at Least 12

A series of Ukrainian drone attacks struck several Russian regions on Friday morning, leaving at least one person dead and more than a dozen injured while damaging industrial sites, homes and vehicles, according to Russian...

Najib Razak Seeks Stay of 15-Year 1MDB Prison Sentence

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has asked a court to suspend a 15-year prison sentence linked to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) corruption scandal, his lawyer said Friday, following a royal pardon in a...

What ‘Taiwan Independence’ Means as Xi Presses Trump on US Policy

Chinese President Xi Jinpings call for President Donald Trump to oppose Taiwan independence has renewed attention on the complicated political and historical status of Taiwan and the differing positions held by Beijing,...

Xi Calls for Deeper U.S.-China AI Cooperation in Trump Talks

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for stronger cooperation with the United States on artificial intelligence during his state visit to Washington, highlighting AI safety and human oversight as potential areas for closer...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceXAI to Double Nvidia Chips at Colossus 2 by Year-End

Elon Musk said SpaceXAI plans to nearly double the number of advanced Nvidia AI chips operating at its Colossus 2 data center by the end of 2026, significantly expanding the computing power behind its artificial...

SoftBank Shares Fall as Oracle Flags Stargate Data Center Delay Risk

SoftBank Group shares dropped on Friday after Oracle moved to protect itself against possible delays at a major New Mexico data center, adding to investor concerns over the financing and execution risks surrounding the...

Jeff Bezos Invests $32 Billion in Blue Origin as Space Firm Targets Major Growth

Jeff Bezos has invested about $32 billion in Blue Origin since founding the space company in 2000, underscoring the Amazon founders long-term commitment to competing in the rapidly expanding commercial space industry....

OpenAI to Preview GPT-6 Cyber AI Model for Cybersecurity

OpenAI is preparing to preview GPT-6 Cyber, a new artificial intelligence model focused on cybersecurity, within days as the company expands its push into AI-powered security tools, according to a Fortune report cited by...

Former OpenAI Data Center Chief Chris Malone Joins Nvidia

Chris Malone, the former head of data centers at OpenAI, has joined Nvidia as vice president of its DSX Platform, strengthening the chipmakers leadership team as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues...