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CSIRO Education enquiries: Program enquiries: | Chemistry, materials science and related areas
Dr Rob has a Bachelor of Science with Honours and a PhD in materials chemistry from the University of Queensland. He says that his love of science (and particularly the environment) came from growing up on a pineapple farm, where he became passionate about the impact that humans have on the environment and natural resources. Dr Rob also works as a Science Education Officer for CSIRO, teaching students about science in the lab and at schools. Outside the world of science, Dr Rob is also mad about soccer and loves traveling - his favourite place overseas is a grand ballroom carved out of rock salt in an underground salt mine in Krakow, Poland. Dr Rob is funny and friendly, rides his push-bike to work, loves astronomy and chemistry and, as an ardent scientist should, constantly asks questions of the world and how it works. ^TOP Colleen Bettles, CSIRO scientist - Motor Car Science Episode 
Colleen is a metallurgist working for CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology. She works to improve the properties of metal alloys (combinations of different metals) so they can be used in new ways. At the moment they are concentrating on magnesium alloys (made from a mixture of magnesium and other metals) for use in cars. At school, Colleen was really interested in chemistry, but it seemed to her that the only jobs available were in teaching or as a laboratory chemist. Instead, Colleen chose to study Chemical and Materials Engineering at university, and gradually realised that she found materials science more interesting than chemistry. Colleen says that metallurgy provides some interesting challenges. "We know that magnesium likes to behave in a certain way, but we try to make it change its behaviour by adding other metals or treating it in different ways," she says. "I love that we are forcing nature to do what it doesn't want to do." ^TOP Dr Clare Diaper, Research Scientist, CSIRO Integrated Urban Water Systems - Water Episode
Outside of work, she enjoys the great outdoors, bushwalking and cycling mainly, exploring Australia , with a focus on the roads less travelled (you can find a few more of those here than in the UK!). ^TOP Andrew Evans, Manager, Polymer Innovations - Ski Science Episode  Andrew has been involved in the Australian Coal Mining Industry for the past 12 years. Here he was involved with different polymers for process water recovery and used super absorbing polymers for blending with reject waste to make transport more effective. Since then he has formed his own company which specializes in a range of polymers for mining, agriculture, education and events. The variety of industries that he deals with means that he could be in an underground mine one day or at a ski resort the next.
Dealing with such a variety of industries means new challenges occur on a daily basis which means a lot of research and communication with different specialists from around the world. He will soon be heading to the snowfields where clients are experimenting with the polymer snow to be used in conjunction with other man made snow and real snow on the ski slopes. ^TOP Lisa Famularo, Research Chemist, CSIRO - Metals Episode  After completing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree (with a double major in chemistry and biochemistry) Lisa worked in two other companies prior to CSIRO, specialising in glass science. She thought working with mineral science would be interesting and made the move to CSIRO. And she loves it.
The problem-solving/trouble-shooting that goes with the job makes it interesting and never dull. The titanium work that she's been involved with for over three years has given her a chance to develop new methods and instrumental techniques. The fact that these methods are new and relate primarily to the work they do and samples they generate at CSIRO makes her pretty proud too. ^TOP Dr Stephen Hawkins , CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology - Clothing Technology Episode
Apart from the great fun of working with creative and committed people, the thing he loves most about his job is the opportunity to turn imagination into reality. To be able to think of a new concept or product, work out the practicalities of achieving it and then see it come into being. CSIRO has a very strong emphasis on bringing the results of research all the way from the concept to the marketplace, which suits him perfectly. It is a job that requires a lot of patience and perseverance as sometimes it may take years to achieve an important result. The reward is to know that he is the first to get there. Whilst there is only one Everest (and that's been done), there are plenty of intellectual peaks still to climb! He doesn't really have a typical day, other than to say that it mainly involves problem solving, as the problems are constantly arising (from new ideas) or evolving (through the effort to develop current ideas). Some of this entails working with collaborating companies and organisations on new applications for the unique materials that they are developing. Some of my interests outside of work are in travel, lapidary, music, and bushwalking. He tends to dismantle things and turn them into other things. He is currently learning to juggle. ^TOP Brett Mallaby, Rosebank Helmets - Plastics Episode
Brett says that Rosebank has its own moulding machine, which it bought from a company in Germany. Rosebank staff design helmets with the help of computer software and test them in their laboratories to make sure they meet the Australian safety standards. Tests include dropping the helmet on to a hard surface (impact test) and dropping a heavy weight onto the helmet (distribution test). Rosebank also distributes imported helmets made by Bell and Giro and is starting to move into other areas such as equestrian helmets, skate helmets and bicycle safety seats. Brett says that he really enjoys the variety in his work. "I'm passionate about being involved in a product from start to finish." ^TOP Donavan Marney, research scientist - Fire Science Episode
Until he started work at CSIRO, Donavan had used these two areas of chemistry separately in areas such as making pain killers from poppies in Tasmania and studying the combustion properties of Victorian brown coal. He's excited that he's now able to combine the two areas. "We have a lot of different synthetic materials around us all the time: in our clothes, our cars and our homes," Donavan explains. "If we know how they burn we can prevent the spread of fires and delay the onset of fires to save lives." ^TOP Roshan Mayadunne, senior scientist and co-inventor, CSIRO - Plastics Episode
Like most polymer scientists, Roshan studied chemistry at university. He became interested in polymers when he started working for the CSIRO, studying how different monomers (single chemical units) can be assembled to make new polymers (with many chemical units). His love for inventing and making novel plastics led him to look at using special polymers inside our bodies. He and his colleagues, Thilak Gunatillake and Raju Adhikari, have invented a polymer bone glue that holds broken bones together while they heal. Currently they are working on a plastic material for a device that is used to open up blocked arteries in the human heart. Roshan says that he loves the challenges in his work. "We work with large American companies who ask us to make plastics for new medical devices," he says. "It's this challenge and the hunger to invent that keeps me going." ^TOP Dr Andrew McDonagh, Institute For Nanoscale Technology, UTS - Nanotechnology
His favourite part of his job is being able to create new forms of matter. In their laboratories, they arrange atoms and molecules into new molecules that, as far as they know, have never existed before in the Universe. What he actually does all boils down to a few simple tasks; running experiments to show something new, communicating the results to scientific community (usually through journal articles), and keeping up to date with what everyone else in the field is doing (you don't want to do the same thing as another research group - originality is important. ^TOP Dr Sarah Morgan, Project Manager, Nanotechnology Victoria Ltd - Nanotechnology
The thing about nanotechnology she really likes is the diversity, and the fact that she gets to be involved in projects outside her own area. She also gets to do quite a bit of education about nanotechnology, to school groups, companies or even TV shows. Any when all that gets too much she winds down with some Tai Chi, she is currently learning Tai Chi weapons. ^TOP Gordon Wallace, University of Wollongong - Plastics Episode
It sounds like science fiction, but the 40 or so staff at the Institute are working on amazing applications for these intelligent polymers, including repairing nerve cell damage, creating an artificial nose that can detect odours and making artificial muscles for prosthetic arms and legs. Gordon has always had an interest in science, and became particularly interested in intelligent polymers as he was finishing his PhD in electro-chemistry. Today, 15 years after he established the Institute, he is as excited as ever about the potential of intelligent polymers. "We've got real applications for our research now, but there's still a lot of blue-sky ideas to investigate," he says. ^TOP Scott Watkins, Molecular Technologies, CSIRO - Electricity Episode
Scott has always enjoyed synthetic chemistry and, in recent years, has expanded his interests to other aspects of materials science including making organic electronic devices such as LEDs and plastic solar cells. The opportunity to take new chemicals that he can make in the lab and turn them into real working devices is what he thinks is the best part of his job. A typical day in the lab could involve doing chemical reactions to make new materials for the devices and then testing them in various instruments to examine their properties. 'Typical days' are often also interrupted by meetings with colleagues to plan, discuss and review their research. ^TOP
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The term "mad scientist" may well be appropriate for CSIRO's Dr Rob - he is mad about science and will go to any lengths to uncover and explain the ways and whys of our ever-amazing world.
A not so direct path led Clare to the field of water and wastewater research. She started her career as a chemical engineer and worked at a speciality chemical manufacturing plant in North Wales in the UK. The wastewater from the site was discharged to a salmon fishing river and so her interest in water began. After three years in industry she decided that she wanted to be more research focused, investigating new methods for treating wastewater and supplying clean water. So, back to University for a year to complete a Master of Science in Environmental Biotechnology and then three years to complete a PhD. Some more time in industry after this and then the possibility of urban water research in Australia. How could she refuse! 
Stephen became interested in research and in working at CSIRO at the age of 13 in England (true!) when he read about what the organisation did. As fortune would have it, his family migrated to Australia the following year. He focussed on science but also studied geography, history and language at school, and then went on to study Organic Chemistry and X-Ray crystallography at UNSW. When he completed his PhD, he was offered a position with CSIRO and has been there ever since (20 years!) in various roles. 
Brett is the Divisional Manager of 
Donavan works with CSIRO's fire science team in two different areas: combustion and organic synthesis. In the area of combustion, Donavan designs and sets up experiments to test how different materials burn and to analyse the gases that they produce when they burn. With the data he collects, he is designing improved fire detection systems. He uses organic synthesis techniques to research fire retardants that help make fires burn more slowly.
Roshan is a polymer scientist at CSIRO. His work involves finding new polymers (plastics) that can be used in medical applications, for example in artificial hip joints. 
Daniel has always had a general curiosity about things but it was only during his University studies that he found an interest in the molecular aspects of science. That's the really small stuff. 
Gordon has a real passion for polymers - but particularly the intelligent ones! Gordon is the director of the Intelligent 
After doing a degree in science and then a PhD in chemistry in Australia, Scott moved to the UK where he worked at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities (and two spin-out companies). In 2004 he returned to Australia to work with CSIRO. A key factor in his return was the return of Professor Andrew Holmes, the co-discoverer of light-emitting polymers, from Cambridge as a Federation Fellow.