Dr Kuruvilla Mathew has made an outstanding contribution throughout his career as a professional engineer to the field of environmentally-sound technologies, and in particular in their deployment to improve living conditions in developing countries and Australian indigenous communities. Specifically, his expertise is with water supply and waste management systems as well as renewable energy technologies. 

For the former, Dr Mathew in 2015, was bestowed the honor Fellow of International Water Industry in recognition of his many years of service to the water industry. Recently in 2023, he was also awarded the Australian Water Association Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledging his service.

Dr Mathew himself has overseen the research, development and deployment of several important water technologies for developing communities, including the solar powered desalination unit, the hydrogen sulphide water test kit and the evapotranspiration wastewater disposal method. For his research contribution that led to the invention of the solar powered reverse osmosis desalination unit he was able to secure a patent along with Prof Goen Ho and Dr Don Harrison. 

The desalination unit has been used in Indonesian islands and is very useful for Pacific and Indian Ocean Islands.  The onsite bacteriological test kit developed as part of Dr Mathew’s research at Murdoch has been used in Nepal and many Aboriginal communities.

Dr Mathew has had a distinguished career of service to Murdoch University, starting in 1977. Some of his roles include, Director of the Environmental Technology Centre (Assoc. Professor) 2005-2006; Senior Lecturer in the School of Environmental Science 2003-2005; and Lecturer in Environmental Science, 2000-2002. 

Dr Mathew has published 69 refereed papers and 155 conference papers in the fields of water supply, wastewater management, and solid waste management and energy efficiency. He was involved in the supervision of 14 honours students, 2 Masters students, 2 MPhil students and 10 PhD students. He was instrumental in bringing research funds of about $6,000,000 to Murdoch University. In 2015, Dr Mathew was honoured for his services to Murdoch University and professional excellence when he received Murdoch’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

The focus of Dr Mathew for much of his career has been on the plight of the poor and those in developing communities. From an engineering perspective his passion was to work for people in remote Aboriginal communities and developing countries. He also inspired many of his friends, students and research staff to do the same and through this work they were able to undertake an impassioned approach to their work, studies and research. His service and commitment to Murdoch University and to our communities was recognised by the highest honour in 2024 when he received the Order of Australia Medal. Dr Mathew vividly addressed Murdoch’s core value of equality and social justice.