SMaRT centre researchers' biographies
Veena Sahajwalla Faculty of Science
Recycling and renewable materials
New sustainable materials and processes
Sustainability of existing materials and processes
Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla FTSE, FIEAust, is the Director of Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT@UNSW) with its central research focus on sustainable materials and processes with strong emphasis on environmental and community benefits. SMaRT Centre was established to work with industry in the development of innovative materials and processes and reduction of energy consumption. SMaRT Centre has 20 academic and research staff, and several industry partners. Veena has invented an environmentally friendly technology for recycling plastics and rubber tyres in electric arc furnace steelmaking. This recycling process has been patented. She is a Visiting Professor at University Malaysia Perlis. She has delivered keynote/invited papers in many international conferences and has lectured in Argentina, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, UK and USA.
She completed her Masters degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada and her PhD from The University of Michigan, USA. Veena has received many awards/recognitions (Australian and international).
Sri Bandyopadhyay Faculty of Science
Assoc Prof Sri Bandyopadhyay, Materials Sci & Eng UNSW is Australian project manager of AISRF DIISR Targeted Allocation $1.55M project “Nanocomposite Materials in Clean Energy - generation, storage and savings” involving UNSW, UQ, ANU, Flinders and 5 Indian Institutes. Current inventor of a method to modify colour of fly ash from grey black to near white, and use as filler in virgin / recycled plastics, Sri was earlier recipient of Best Scientist Award from Australia's DSTO MRL. Sri's 2004 initiatives with President of India helped to set up current $40M Australia - India research scheme. In 2008 Sri was the only Australian academic selected to present plenary paper on Advanced Functional polymer nanocomposites at Executive Nanocomposites 2008, San Diego, Calif, USA.
Alan Crosky Faculty of Science
Professor Alan Crosky is a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW. His research interests include sustainable composite materials, reducing embodied energy of synthetic fibre reinforced plastic composites and biochar for soil beneficiation and carbon sequestration.
Sheila Devasahayam
Dr. Sheila Devasahayam is a Visiting Fellow with the SMaRT Centre since 2011.
Sheila’s research interests include electron-beam and gamma (high-energy) radiation and high performance materials, polymer science, interfacial phenomena in steel-polymer composites and wood- plastic composites, surface modification of polymers and metals using plasma ion implantation techniques, minerals and metallurgical processing, particulate processing, acid mine drainage and measurement science. Sheila has experience include working in Industries, Government and the Universities. Sheila has authored more than 32 papers in peer review journals and conferences.
Sushil Kumar Gupta Faculty of Science
Dr Sushil Gupta was born in Bhiwani, a small town, in North of India. He holds Master in Physics and PhD in Chemical Engineering. He has extensive experience of working in coal research projects since 1994. His major research focus is understanding impact of coal use for ironmaking and power generation. Currently, he is Senior Research Fellow and Program Leader of Ironmaking Research in the “Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology”. He is also the founding Co-Director of “The Sino-Australia Joint Research Centre for Advanced Carbonisation Processes” and holds Chair Professorship at Liaoning University of Science & Technology, China since 2007. He has made presentations worldwide about coal and coke issues including Anglo, LKAB, CANMET, POSCO and Tata-Corus. He is on the Board of Review of Metallurgical and Materials Transactions, Iron/Coke Producing Operating Committees of AIST and AIME Distinguished Service Committee. He is member of TMS, ACS, AIE and Engineers Australia. He has published more than 100 articles involving coal utilisation for ironmaking and power generation.
Haley Jones ANU
Dr Haley Jones is a senior lecturer in the School of Engineering at the Australian National University in Canberra (http://engnet.anu.edu.au/DEpeople/Haley.Jones/). Dr Jones graduated with an Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree and a Science degree from the University of Adelaide in 1992 and 2005, respectively, and a PhD in wireless telecommunications from the ANU in 2002. Dr Jones was a visiting fellow in the SMaRT Centre fro July to October 2010 and continues to collaborate with the Centre. Her particular interests include the use of agricultural and forestry wastes for renewable materials, life-cycle assessment, the cradle-to-cradle paradigm, dynamic modelling of complex systems
Obada Kayali Australian Defence Force Academy
A/Prof Obada Kayali is an internationally recognised Australian researcher, Civil engineer, scientist and academic. He has widely contributed to the area of concrete research and concrete durability. He is pioneering the research in finding ways to produce sustainable building materials. His major achievement in this field so far has been the commercial licensing of his two patents for exploiting fly ash in the concrete and brick and paver industries. The licenses have been signed by UNSW and the two companies Vecor Australia Pty Ltd and Vecor Building Systems and give the right to the two companies to exploit the products of the patents in Australia, China and world wide.
A/Prof Kayali is the author of more than 80 scientific papers published in books, international journals and conferences. He is on the editorial board of several leading journals. He is on the international expert committees of several international symposia and acts as a referee for the Australian Research Council grants.
A/Prof Kayali's expertise is sought after internationally and he is often invited to deliver keynote papers as well as conduct professional workshops. He is a recipient of awards of excellence in research and teaching including awards of best papers, Barton Thomas Best Fly Ash Research award, and Finalist UNSW inventor of the year, Excellence in Teaching, and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council award for 2009.
Rita Khanna Faculty of Science
Senior researcher (A/Prof) Rita Khanna has a Ph. D in condensed matter physics with extensive research experience (both theoretical and experimental) in the fields of x-ray diffraction, theoretical modeling and atomistic computer simulations. Since 1997, she has brought her expertise to high temperature metallurgical processes and has developed a novel atomistic approach towards the fundamental understanding of basic reaction processes. She is a key member of UNSW super-computing fraternity and has published extensively.
http://www.materials.unsw.edu.au/staff/rita-khanna
Michael La Robina Faculty of Science
Michael was appointed as a Visiting Fellow with the SMaRT Centre in March 2009. Michael is currently co-supervising a PhD student. When previously employed at ANSTO, Michael developed technology for processing materials using Electromagnetic Radiation. He was responsible for the Cold Crucible Facility which is used to melt ceramics, glass and glass-ceramics being developed for the immobilisation of nuclear waste and is directly applicable to processing materials of a wide variety. The technology uses Electromagnetic Radiation to melt ceramics, glass and glass-ceramics, metals and alloys difficult to process or produce with other more conventional methods. Michael will pass on expertise and knowledge and continue to develop materials that can recycle or immobilise wastes that are toxic or nuclear in nature. The technology which involves both Radio Frequency and Microwave Heating can be applied to waste management areas to help industry. Michael is also involved in collaborations with international colleagues working with similar technology to the same end.
Dilip Nath Faculty of Science
Dr Nath has recently joined as a Postdoctoral Research Associate to the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) in April, 2010 upon completion his PhD from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. He is experienced in multidisciplinary fields of research with a sequential bridge like connection of organic and polymer synthesis with polymer engineering and nano-composite materials.
Oleg Ostrovski Faculty of Science
Recycling and renewable materials
New sustainable materials and processes
Sustainability of existing materials and processes
Professor Oleg Ostovski. Received BE, PhD and DSc degrees from Moscow Steel and Alloys Institute. Took an academic position at UNSW in 1993; HOS in 2004-2007; ARC Professorial Fellow from August 2007.
Research area - pyrometallurgy, environmental issues, technology, thermodynamics and kinetics of metallurgical processes.
Gangadhara Prusty Faculty of Engineering
Associate Professor Gangadhara Prusty FRINA (London),MIEAust, MAEE is the Deputy Directorof Centre for Sustainable Materials Research & Technology (SMaRT@UNSW) and the Head of Design, Analysis and Simulation Systems research group in the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW. He is the Program Leader of composites research projects through CRC-ACS (Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures) at MECHENG, UNSW.
Ganga’s main research interests include mechanics of materials, solid mechanics, finite element analysis,fractureand failure analyses of structures. He has supervised 7 research higher degrees to their completion and has published over 100 referred articles in journals and conferences of international repute.He is the recipient of a number of awards including the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award andNational Citation Award by Australian Learning & Teaching Council (ALTC) for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2010.
Mariano Ramirez Faculty of the Built Environment
Mariano is a lecturer in Industrial Design at the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of new South Wales. His teaching and research encompasses various aspects of sustainable industrial design, including integration of ecological and social responsibility within design education, upcycling of end-of-life materials, designing for optimal product lifetimes, and fostering positive behavioral change through design.
Narendra Saha-Chaudhury Faculty of Science
Mr N. Saha-Chaudhury (centre manager) is an integral part of the research team at the Centre for Sustainable Materials and Research Technology at UNSW (SMaRT@UNSW). He has over 30 years experience in designing highly specialized equipment for conducting cutting edge experimental research, which has been critical in realizing successful research endeavors. He brings to the Centre the essential qualities of professionalism, diligence, originality in thought and ideas, excellent creativity and a friendly positive attitude. This has been helpful in translating ideas/results generated in our Centre into practical solutions, which have been accepted by academia PhD students and industries.
Magdalena Zaharia Faculty of Science
Recycling and renewable materials
Sustainability of existing materials and processes
New sustainable materials and processes
Dr. Magda Zaharia started her appointment as a research associate with the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology in April 2010 just after submitting her PhD thesis from the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Her research was focused on sustainability of materials and processes - recycling of rubber tyres in EAF steelmaking with the potential to transform these carbons bearing waste into value added products.
Dr Jianqiang Zhang is a senior lecturer in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW. He received his PhD from this school in 2000, and then worked as a research scientist at Max-Planck Institute for Iron Research, Germany. He returned to UNSW in 2003, first as a research associate, research fellow (ARF), senior research fellow, and now senior lecturer. His research is mainly in the field of gas-solid reactions at high temperature, including high temperature corrosion and processing metallurgy. Research emphases are on the reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, sustainable materials processing, phase transformation and characterisation, and new materials development. Dr Zhang is currently a vice president & treasurer for Australasian Corrosion Association, NSW Branch.