School of Chemistry Annual Report 2009 Contents Introduction from the Head of School 1 Our people Staff 2 Highlights of 2009 News 4 Societies Chemistry Postgraduate Society 6 Melbourne University Chemical Society (including seminar series) 6 Chemistry building redevelopment 7 Prizes and awards 8 Chemistry and the community Victorian Institute for Chemical Sciences (VICS) 9 Alumni function 10 Teaching and learning Subjects taught 11 Key teaching and learning statistics 12 Quality of Teaching outcomes 12 Research Higher Degree student completions 13 Research Research funding 14 Conferences 16 Organic seminars 19 Inorganic and Analytical seminars 20 Physical seminars 21 Publications 22 Sponsors back cover 1 Introduction from the Head of School and large flat panel displays which allow Medal of the RACI Analytical Division, and Jack demonstrator resources to be run to support Jacienak the Chancellor’s prize for the best practical instruction for our first year students. PhD thesis in the University for the previous The ground floor refurbishment also includes year. Andrew Holmes was appointed as a a new library and resource area, the Student prestigious Laureate Professor of the University Learning Centre, tutor offices and reception while two School members, Rachel Caruso area, and an informal student lounge, The and John Gehman, were also successful in the Labyrinth, equipped with computers and initial round of ARC Future Fellowships. The wireless networking. School was again highly successful in research grant performance and it was particularly Display cases built into the refurbishment have pleasing to see the ARC Centre of Excellence provided a space for exhibiting items of the for Free Radical Chemistry and Biotechnology, Chemistry Cultural Collection. An exhibition which has its administrative Centre in the “Chemistry@Melbourne: the first hundred School, receive renewed funding for a further years” assembled by Petronella Nel, Michelle 5 years. Gee, Mick Moyland and Belinda Nemec (University Collections) was a highlight of the Among other notable achievements for 2009, alumni function and continuing displays will Penny Commons received a Dean’s Award for join those of other University collections that Excellence in Teaching and Mick Moylan was are available as a resource to the wider public. also the recipient of a University Knowledge Transfer grant to further develop his outreach During the year the new Advanced Materials activities to regional secondary schools. These Laser Laboratories in the East Wing were awards again reflect the high performance of also completed and IT, electronics and glass School members across all areas of activity of blowing personnel moved into purpose built the University. workshops. The second level teaching Second year chemistry subjects under the laboratories, that will Melbourne Model science degree were also house substantial successfully implemented under the guidance instrumentation spaces of the academic programs committee of the for new NMR, EPR and School chaired by Richard O’Hair. These mass spectrometry subjects include core lecture and laboratory instrumentation, subjects that must be undertaken by all were also nearing chemistry major students. 2009 also saw the completion in time for first enrolments of MSc coursework students the commencement of into Chemistry under the new Graduate School the 2010 teaching year. of Science programs. The introduction of the new third year subjects in 2010 will see the Funding was also completion of this very major revision to our made available chemistry major and I believe will continue to undertake to maintain our course as the benchmark for the third level Australian chemistry degrees. teaching laboratory refurbishment in My term as Head of School will be completed L-R: Professor Ken Ghiggino (Head, School of Chemistry), Dr J. Patrick Greene (CEO, 2010. Since 2007 at the end of 2009. The past 12 years have Museum of Victoria), Professor Glyn Davis (Vice Chancellor), Professor Emeritus seen many significant changes in the School Ray Martin (former Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Dean, Faculty of Science), over $26 million Professor Liz Sonenberg (Dean, Faculty of Science). has been provided of Chemistry and the University. The Bio21 by the University Institute and Masson precinct Chemistry During 2009 the School celebrated a for the Chemistry building refurbishments have transformed our major milestone with the current building refurbishment and associated works, however research and teaching infrastructure while our redevelopments, implemented major changes substantial additional funding will be needed to teaching courses have undergone perhaps to its teaching programs in line with the complete the remaining research laboratories, the most major revision in the School’s long Melbourne Model initiatives, and staff and lecture theatre and office refurbishments over history. These changes would not have been students continued to achieve outstanding the next few years. possible without the dedicated input of staff and students and I wish to thank them for successes in research and teaching Once again a number of staff and students their support in this process. I am certain this performance. received accolades for their research support will continue for our new Head of performance. Paul Mulvaney was elected The completion of Stage 1 of the building School, Frances Separovic, and I wish her well a Fellow of the Australian Academy of program was marked by a celebration in in her new role in 2010. February attended by the Vice-Chancellor and Science, Alison Funston received a Victorian over 150 of our alumni. Stage 1 comprises “Tall Poppy” award, Frances Separovic the Ken Ghiggino the new ground floor teaching laboratories Robertson Award of the Australian Society Masson Professor of Chemistry that feature modern fume-hood extraction of Biophysics, Spas Kolev the Lloyd Smythe Head, School of Chemistry School of Chemistry | 2009 Annual Report our people Staff Academic Uta Wille Research Fellows Spencer John Williams Neppolian Bernaudshaw Head of School and Masson Professor Dehong Chen Kenneth Philip Ghiggino Lecturers Daniel Dias Colette Boskovic Professors Christopher Dean Donner Paul Donnelly Franz Grieser John D. Gehman Robert Lamb ARC Federation Fellows and Professors Catrin Goeschen Richard Alfred O’Hair Andrew Bruce Holmes Martin Grannas Mark Antony Rizzacasa Paul Mulvaney Xiaotao Hao Carl Herbert Schiesser ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellows Tim Hudson Frances Separovic Elizabeth Krenske David John Jones Anthony Gordon Wedd Evan Moore Matthias Karg Yvonne Kavanagh Associate Professors and Readers Jingli Xie George Khairallah Brendan Francis Abrahams ARC International Linkage Fellow Sangwan Lee Muthupandian Ashokkumar Linda Feketeova Jagannathan Madhavan Michelle Louise Gee Chemistry Outreach Fellow Anthony Morfa Spas Dimitrov Kolev Michael Moylan Christopher Ritchie Trevor Alexander Smith Colin Skene Jonathan Michael White Tutors Michelle Taylor Charles Graham Young Penelope Commons Hemayet Uddin Vicky-June Ellis Senior Lecturers Hung Si Vo Sonia Horvat Stephen Peter Best Huabin Wang Evan Bieske Xiaoming Wen Rachel Caruso Zhiguang Xiao Craig Hutton Meifang Zhou Research Assistants Viktoras Dryza James Hickey Liisa Hirvonen Andreas Ide Irving Liaw Phoebe MacDougall Michelle Meiries Dana Morgan Lachlan McKimmie Tich Lam Nguyen Joerg Taubitz Shannon Zanatta www.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au 3 Honorary appointments Professors Emeritus Alan Buchanan Donald William Cameron Francis Patrick Larkins Professorial Fellows Robert Cattrall Roger Francis Martin Richard Robson Peter Allan Tregloan Robert Oliver Watts Principal Fellows Yoshinari Baba Ronald Cooper William David McFadyen Peter McTigue Peter James Thistlethwaite New Zealand Fran Dynan (Acting Executive Manager) John Wade Prof Alessandro Martucci, University Padova, Jim Dynan Italy Senior Fellows Gregory Ellis Dr Sonia Melino, University of Rome, Italy Bruce Cowie Emanuele Failla Dr Shirish Sonawane, Vishwakarma Jed Fraser Robert Craig Institute of Technology, India Robert Gable Donald Neil Furlong Prof Peter Steel, University of Valda May McRae Canterbury, New Zealand Les Gamel Assoc Prof Richard Ming Wah Wong, Sue Hickey Fellows National University of Singapore, Singapore Ross Lineham Ming Chen Wilsmore Fellows Brendan Mangan Noel Dunlop Dr Frank Bernhard, Goethe–University of Richard Mathys Peter Harbour Frankfurt, Germany Esther McConnell Richard David Harcourt Prof David W Knight, Cardiff University, Wales Alf Meilak Akhter Hossain Prof Zoran D Popovic, Xerox Research Centre Peter Mills Craig Hill of Canada, Canada John Nuske John Lambert Prof Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, University of Des Odgers Christine Schieber Michigan, USA Charlie Penman Suzanne Reichman Prof Petr Solich, Charles University, Czech Republic Lachlan Pollock Tania Obranovich Craig Sanders Gerard Wilson Professional Jennifer Scott Jan Ramuald Zdysiewicz Jennifer York (Executive Manager) Doug Taylor Marino Artuso Visitors Joe Tyler Renee Beale Dr Francesca Cavalieri, University of Rome, Joanne Tymms Italy Vicki Burley Sioe See Volaric Prof Juliet Gerrard, University of Canterbury, Christine Callahan Monalisa D’souza School of Chemistry | 2009 Annual Report highlights of 2009 News Kangaroos give a lesson in skin Article on Chemistry Cultural Knowledge transfer project grant cancer protection Collection for Mick Moylan Dr Linda Feketeová and Dr Uta Wille from the An article entitled “Our Chemical cultural Congratulations