Category: Awards and prizes

Ruth Knibbe Elected as Regional Representative for the International Society of Electrochemistry

Posted on by Anna Knudsen

Associate Professor Ruth Knibbe has been elected as the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) ‘s regional representative for Australia and New Zealand.  In this important role, she will join a group of regional representatives from 41 countries and act as a link between the Society and its members from the region.

ISE’s mission is to advance electrochemical science and technology, promote international cooperation in electrochemistry, and provide a platform for the exchange of scientific information and ideas. The Society was founded in 1949 to serve electrochemistry’s growing needs as a modern scientific discipline. It now comprises about 3000 individual members and more than 20 Corporate Members across the world.

The appointment as the Regional Representative for the International Society of Electrochemistry is a testament to Ruth’s expertise and leadership in the field of electrochemistry. She has a range of leadership and community development experience – apart from her role as GETCO2 Chief Investigator, Ruth is a Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of School in the School of Mechanical & Mining Engineering at the University of Queensland.

As part of ISE, Ruth looks forward to the opportunity to support and empower the next generation of electrochemists. Her focus will be on improving knowledge exchange through the development of workshops and seminars, along with continuing communication improvement through social media platforms. She will also support and promote regional conferences, recognising their key role in fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration.

Learn more about the International Society of Electrochemistry.

GETCO2 Highly Cited Researchers 2023 Awards

Posted on by Anna Knudsen

Congratulations to  GETCO2 researchers Professor Xiwang Zhang, Professor Chuan Zhao, Professor Zaiping Guo  and Professor Feng Jiao (Partner Investigator) on receiving the Highly Cited Researcher 2023 Award from Clarivate!

The prestigious award recognises the exceptional performance of researchers who have a significant number of papers in the top 1% most cited in their field and year of publication. To highlight just how significant these awards are, they are only bestowed on ~1 in 1000 researchers.

This select group of scientists contribute disproportionately to extending the frontiers of knowledge and gaining for society innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and more secure.

The full list can be found online here.

Adam Lee awarded the 2023 RACI Welcome Award

Posted on by Anna Knudsen

Adam Lee, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry at Griffith University and Chief Investigator at GETCO2, has been awarded the 2023 Royal Australian Chemical Institute Award. The RACI Award is to honour and welcome a senior chemist who is new to Australia and has made a substantial contribution to advancing chemical research within Australia.

Adam relocated from the UK in 2018, first to RMIT University in Melbourne, and more recently to Griffith University at their Gold Coast campus near the beach.

Adam’s research team develop new chemical processes using catalysts (substances that accelerate chemical reactions) to manufacture fuels and high-value molecules from renewable resources in a sustainable fashion. Catalysis lies at the heart of life on earth, powers our homes and puts food on our tables, contributing to >35 % of global wealth.

New catalytic processes are critical to combat climate change, by enabling a transition from fossil to renewable feedstocks for energy and chemicals production, and to ensure sufficient food and clean water for a growing world population.

Designing catalysts that operate with minimal energy input, and produce negligible waste, requires sophisticated synthetic methods to sculpt materials with atomic precision, and analytical tools to understand their microscopic workings during chemical reactions.

As a scientist, Adam seeks to encourage a holistic view of catalysis across the broad community and to mentor a new generation of chemists who adopt multidisciplinary approaches to tackle grand societal challenges. On a personal note, he is passionate about eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness, and hopes to support new generations of scientist to feel empowered that their voices and ideas are important and deserve to be heard.

Outside of work, he is a keen wildlife photographer and enjoys hiking and trekking the natural world; relocating to Australia has provided amazing opportunities to see endangered animals – in between honing his BBQ skills!

The Royal Australian Chemical Institute is a qualifying body for professional chemists, and a learned society promoting the practice of chemistry. Learn more about RACI here. 

Zaiping Guo – Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science 2023

Posted on by Anna Knudsen

GETCO2 Chief Investigator  Professor Zaiping Guo has been elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science Fellowship 2023.

Zaiping is a materials scientist and GETCO2 Node Director at the University of Adelaide, where she has made pioneering contributions to our understanding of how electrode materials and electrolytes behave. Her world-leading research focuses on developing more powerful, longer-lasting and safer rechargeable batteries for portable devices, electric vehicles and smart grids.

Zaiping’s research investigates novel electrode materials and electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries to increase the amount of energy they can store and extend their cycle life. One of her research team’s innovations is a synthesised silicon-carbon composite that can replace graphite as the anode in lithium-ion batteries. This will boost the energy density compared to the current lithium batteries. She also pioneered potassium ion batteries, which have the same chemical properties as lithium but are more abundant and cheaper.

Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science are among the Nation’s most distinguished scientists, elected by their peers for ground-breaking research and contributions that have had clear impact, and Zaiping hopes her Fellowship will inspire other young women in science to follow in her footsteps and push other boundaries.

Meet Zaiping Guo and learn more about her research in this video from the Australian Academy of Science.

See the 20 new 2023 Fellows on the Australian Academy of Science here.