Professor Young is the Kernot Professor of Engineering at the University of Melbourne. He previously held the senior administrative roles of Vice Chancellor of Swinburne University of Technology (2003-2011) and Vice Chancellor of the Australian National University (2011-2016). Young is an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and became an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2012 for his services to higher education and research.