2017 Forum Speakers

Dr Karen Barry, University of Tasmania
Dr Karen Barry is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania who graduated with a PhD in plant pathology in 2001. She has been a graduate research coordinator for the School of Land and Food for the past 5 years and Deputy Associate Dean for the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology for the past 18 months, which a focus on higher degree research coordination and strategy.
 
Dr Stephen Bell, Qenos
Stephen Bell completed a PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University Of Melbourne and following this, he undertook 2 years postdoctoral research in Boston, USA. Thereafter, Steve joined ICI Australia’s Crop Care business in 1987 as a Research Team Leader prior to moving into ICI’s Plastics business.

With more than 25 years’ experience in the Petrochemical and Engineering Plastics businesses, Steve has a strong track record of delivering growth and improved business performance through differentiation utilising innovation and technology. During his career, Steve has held a range of business management and executive roles. Until recently, Steve had executive responsibility for all aspects of Qenos’s commercial operations including Marketing & Sales, Supply Chain, Feedstock & Procurement, Product Technology and the Speciality Products trading business. He was also the Vice President Commercial for ChemChina

Steve’s current role is Chief Executive Officer, Qenos.
 
Warwick Dawson, University of NSW
Warwick Dawson is the Director, Knowledge Exchange at the University of New South Wales. He has 20 years experience in strategic leadership roles in both the public and private sectors. In addition to various positions in research intensive universities, he has held legal and commercial roles in the engineering, construction and IT sectors supporting a wide range of clients ranging from multi-nationals to SMEs. Key achievements include building effective partnerships enabling successful execution of high impact projects, and delivery of effective customer focused services. He has a Commerce/Law degree from UNSW.
 
Dr Joseph Lawrence, Monash University
Joseph is the Director of Industry Partnerships for Monash University. He is responsible for fostering industry partnerships and strategic initiatives for research, innovation, education, and entrepreneurship across the whole University. Joseph has over 15 years of specialist experience in industry, university and government collaboration, and was previously the Director of Business Development for Science at Monash (commercialisation/industry engagement) and a Senior Development Manager (major gifts) at Macquarie University. Prior to this, Joseph was the Director of the Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre), which is New Zealand’s Centre of Excellence for Power Engineering and produced the strategic business plan for its establishment in 2002. He has a PhD in Engineering Management (on university-industry-government collaboration business models), a Master of Engineering Management (technical MBA), and a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Canterbury, and is also a PMP certified project management professional. Joseph has implemented dozens of large scale multimillion dollar strategic initiatives, and also represents Monash on a number of boards such as the Chemicals & Plastics Manufacturing Innovation Program, and the Food and Agriculture Innovation Initiative.
 
Distinguished Professor Helene Marsh, James Cook University
Helene Marsh, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, was Deputy Co-Chair of the 2016 ACOLA Review of Research Training. Helene is the longest serving graduate dean in Australia and has twice been convenor of the Council of Deans and Directors of Graduate Research (now the Australian Council for Graduate Research). She has supervised 75 research higher degree candidates to successful completion including 55 PhD candidates. Helene is a marine conservation biologist with some 40 years’ experience in research into species conservation, management and policy https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/helene.marsh
 
Associate Professor Jonathan Morris, University of NSW
Associate Professor Jonathan Morris is the Deputy Dean of Graduate Research at UNSW Sydney, as well as a teaching and research academic in the School of Chemistry at UNSW. He has been in the Deputy Dean role since 2015. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. His research is focused on the design and development of small molecules as potential therapeutics, with current efforts focused on the development of eye drops to control aged related macular degeneration (in collaboration with UK-based biotech Exonate Pty Ltd). Jonathan has supervised over 20 higher degree candidates to successful completions and currently has a group of 8 PhD candidates working under his supervision. He was awarded the 2014 Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award for Postgraduate Supervision.
 
Professor Laura Parry, University of Melbourne
Professor Laura Parry is a biomedical research academic in the School of BioSciences and Associate Dean Research & Industry (Faculty of Science) at the University of Melbourne. She is internationally renowned for her drug development research in women’s health and cardiovascular disease, particularly preeclampsia (https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/features/1000-happy-birthdays) and pregnancy-induced hypertension. She collaborates with Novartis Pharma AG, Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Seleno Therapeutics. Over the past 3 years in her role as Associate Dean Research & Industry, Professor Parry has made significant contributions to policy development and strategic operational planning that span the STEM Faculties at the University of Melbourne. She is actively engaged in mentoring early and mid-career scientists and initiating external research partnerships with industry. She engineered a recent successful Australian Research Council ITTC grant at the University of Melbourne to establish a new graduate research training center with the advanced manufacturing and chemical industry. Professor Parry has also developed pathways for STEM graduates and early career academics to engage in entrepreneurial activities and programs, recognizing a need to provide learning opportunities and training for entry into diverse career pathways.
 
Professor Tony Peacock, Cooperative Research Centres Association
Tony Peacock had advocated for CRCs as Chief Executive of the Cooperative Research Centres Association since 2010. He was CEO of a successful CRC for a decade and Managing Director of one of Australia’s Rural R&D Corporations. Tony is a passionate advocate for applied research and was the 2010 winner of the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting the Public Understanding of Science. A reproductive scientist by training, Tony holds a Bachelor’s degree agriculture and a PhD in veterinary science from the University of Sydney. He has worked at the universities of Melbourne and Saskatchewan, served on the Board of several start-up biotechnology companies, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra. He was 2014 Monash University Churchill Fellow on university-business relationships. His current research interests are in conservation, collaboration, science communication, research leadership and effective innovation systems. Tony is a current series A investor in two innovative start-ups.
 
Professor Peter Rathjen, University of Tasmania
Professor Peter Rathjen has been the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Tasmania since March 2011. During this period, he has been instrumental in positioning the University as a driver of socio-economic prosperity in Tasmania, including through the creation of vibrant new University precincts and facilities within the CBDs of Hobart, Launceston and Burnie. Professor Rathjen studied as an undergraduate in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Adelaide. As a 1985 Rhodes Scholar, he undertook a DPhil at Oxford University, studying mobile genetic elements in yeast and mammals. As a biochemist, Professor Rathjen specialised in embryonic stem cell research. With his wife, Dr Joy Rathjen, he established an internationally recognised research programme into stem cell biology and stem cell therapies. Professor Rathjen was a founding member of the Australian Research Council Special Research Centre for the Molecular Genetics of Development and the Australian Stem Cell Centre.

Professor Rathjen is on the Board of the Australian Science Media Centre and is a patron of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science Tall Poppy Campaign. Prior to taking up this position in March 2011, Professor Rathjen was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Melbourne, where he also held the position of Dean of Science from 2006. Before joining the University of Melbourne, he was Executive Dean, Faculty of Sciences, at the University of Adelaide.
 
Dr Jennifer Semple, Accord Australasia
Jen was a research chemist – many years ago. After graduating with a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Sydney, she undertook two post-doc placements: one at Sydney University’s School of Biological Sciences in metabolomics, and one in UNSW’s School of Chemistry looking at DNA-drug interactions. During this time she also commenced building her career as a science communicator through freelance writing for Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum.

Following a three-month stint home-schooling in rural Bolivia, Jen returned to Australia keen for a change in career direction and commenced with industry association Accord Australasia, the peak industry body for hygiene, cosmetic & specialty formulated chemical products. She has been with Accord for nearly nine years and is currently Innovation & Education Manager. During this time she also completed her Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of New England.
 
Glen Sheldon, AMSI Intern
Glen is the National Program Manager (acting) for AMSI Intern. Glen is responsible for the strategic direction and operational management of the AMSI Intern program. His role provides high-level leadership, strategic development and implementation for the expansion of the AMSI Intern program, whilst driving the number of placements across our member universities.

It is his responsibility to work with the Business Development Managers to drive new business partnerships, leverage funding opportunities and source strategic collaborative arrangements with both public and private enterprises and government.

Prior to his position at AMSI, Glen held a range of senior marketing and publishing roles working with government, industry and the higher education sector.
 
Professor Sue Thomas, Australian Research Council
Professor Sue Thomas is the CEO of the Australian Research Council (ARC). Professor Thomas’ academic background lies in microbial genetics—she holds both a Bachelor of Science with Honours and Doctor of Philosophy in Microbiology from La Trobe University.

Her professional career commenced with appointments at Princeton University in the USA and the Medical Research Council in the United Kingdom. She has held academic leadership roles at: Flinders University as head of the School of Biological Sciences (2000 to mid-2005); University of Canberra as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Division of Health, Design (mid-2005 to 2007) and Science and Pro Vice-Chancellor Research (2007 to 2009); Charles Sturt University as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2009 to 2015); and University of New England as Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (2015 to mid-2017).
 
Gary Veale, Consultant
Gary is an independent advisor, a former Director with KPMG, and has just completed his own doctoral research at the University of Melbourne. He has extensive experience working at the interface of industry, government and academia. This includes running seminars on effective industry engagement and research in the 21st century, being appointed as an industry supervisor to Monash’s MBA program, authoring e-learning courses for doctoral students, and preparing feasibility studies for proposed new industry/university initiatives. During 10 years with KPMG, Gary led teams advising on industry/research collaborative arrangements, corporate sustainability, climate change, innovation, and funding strategies. He has worked with many of Australia’s leading public and private enterprises, led KPMG’s global sustainable supply chain methodology, and KPMG’s Australia’s environmental response and grants team. He has served on various industry councils and forums (e.g. Monash University’s Green Chemistry Advisory Board, and the Australian Plastics and Chemicals Industries Association’s (PACIA) Sustainability Council).

Before joining KPMG in 2006, Gary spent 14 years with other professional firms, in industry, and as the co-founder of a start-up. His PhD is arguably at the forefront of our understanding of the human relationship with nature, with various societal, policy and commercial applications. He holds an Honours Degree in Biological Science (University of Durham, UK) and is a qualified teacher (University of Bath, UK); he is married with two children.
 
Professor Brian Yates, University of Tasmania
Professor Brian Yates was appointed as the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of Tasmania in July 2015. Professor Yates is a researcher with an international reputation for computational chemistry, and a highly commended teacher. He was awarded the Carrick National Teaching Award for the Physical Sciences in 2010, and he co-led the development of the Australian Threshold Learning Outcomes for Science. He was an Executive Director (Engineering, Mathematical and Information Sciences) at the Australian Research Council from 2013 to 2015. He became President of the Australian Council of Deans of Science in 2016.