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Director's Message
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome back, I hope your weekend was enjoyable. This week’s pic is from DQS PhD student, Nutsinee Kijbunchoo, who won the Jury's Choice Award in the Wiki Science Photography Competition for the entry - Baffled LIGO scientists. This wonderful photo captures a moment when two researchers at LIGO Hanford's Pre-Stabilized Laser enclosure stand baffled by the poor light coupling in a new fibre coupler they just installed.
Congratulations to Dr Siva Karuturi, Prof Hoe Tan, Distinguished Prof Chennupati Jagadish (EME) and their colleagues at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST) and Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering (RSEEME) for their recent Advanced Energy Materials Communication (DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202000772) highlighting the group achieving a record efficiency for Perovskite-Silicon based solar water hydrolysis. Led by Prof Kylie Catchpole (RSEEME), this announcement has been picked up by the materials community applauding their progress towards affordable solar hydrogen production.
With the Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) starting up next month, Professor Dragomir Neshev and his group will be transferring to Electronic Materials Engineering. Dragomir is one of the key senior members of the highly successful Non-Linear Physics Centre and over his time has been a great contributor into experimental developments in this Department, and to the School in general. For EME, he will bring new elements in optics research and important meta-optics applications, just in time to integrate before their move into the new building next year.
The importance of Post-Graduate research has jumped into focus as the world relies even more heavily on STEM to manage a COVID world. To help promote the Masters of Science in Quantum Technology, Amanda Cox from the College of Science has written a great article around Prof Ping Koy Lam’s activity in the field of research. The story introduces readers to the fascinating world of quantum encryption and quantum technology, by highlighting commercialisation success at the ANU in this area, and capacity to generate interest in the growing quantum industry. I am certain we could do a series of exciting profiles like this one to promote all six of our Masters programs. Please Phil Dooley know if you have an idea for a profile in one of our Masters.
Last Friday you will have seen an email from our School Manager, James Irwin, asking that we restrict office use until we can increase the number of first aiders in the School. Also, from Tuesday morning the west end of Oliphant will be sealed due to demolition work required to connect it to the new building. It will remain sealed until further notice.
To finish on a highlight, last Friday Hindmarsh celebrated a major construction milestone on Stage 1. At the end I have included a table courtesy of Jonathan De Puit and Brett Price from Hindmarsh that emphasises the sheer scale of this operation, the single technical largest building ever constructed at ANU. Congratulations to Hindmarsh Constructions, Hassell Studio and all the many contractors on achieving this milestone. The building is looking fantastic!
Have a good week,
Tim | 