I graduated from the University of Tasmania (BSc. Hons.) in 1986. After graduation I spent 4 years in industry working with Tioxide and then Cyanamid in Australia as a technical salesman before deciding that my future lay in other directions.
My PhD thesis was completed in 1995 under the supervision of Prof. Kingsley J. Cavell (contact KJC) where I examined "Zirconium complexes as catalysts for the polymerisation of ethylene". My co-supervisor was Prof. Wilhelm Keim at the Technische Hochshule in Aachen where I spent 12 months during my PhD studies.
Post-doctoral periods were then spent in
- Sheffield, synthesis of ferrocenophanes, including new ethane-bridged ferrocenes, for later polymerisation studies in the research group of Dr. Varinder Aggarwal (contact VKA)...(more)
- Cardiff, synthesis and catalytic studies examining the use of macrocyclic phosphine ligands in catalytic systems of interest to ICI acrylics. The work was carried out in the group of Professor Peter Edwards (contact PJE). Developed new, simplified routes to functionalised triphospha-macrocycles and their use, including new cobalt complexes for the catalytic chain transfer of methyl methacrylate, the first active phosphorous containing complex for this process. .......(more)
- Imperial College London, BP Catalyst Discovery Project team leader July 2001 to Feb. 2004, in the group of Professor Vernon Gibson (contact VCG). I have developed High Throughput Screening Protocols for the rapid discovery of homogeneous olefin polymerisation catalysts. This project included new approaches to the simplification and generalisation of ligand synthesis. .......(more)
- University of Cambridge, from Sept. to Dec. 2004. synthesis of hole transport materials for flexible photovoltaics with Prof. A Holmes (contact ABH). I joined Andrew's group at Bio21 in January 2005.
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute. Resident tutor at Ormond College from March 2005.
- Project coordinaotor for the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (vicosc).
Awards
- AFS (American Field Service) exchange student in 1978-79 to Columbus East High School. 12 month exchange.
- Goethe Institute language scholarship to attend an intensive language course in Mannheim, Germany from 29 Nov. to 28 Jan 1994.