Prof. Peter Rutledge
Peter is Professor of Chemistry and Head of School. He has been a member of our School since 2006, and HOS since March 2023. His research and teaching span organic, medicinal, and biological chemistry, citizen science and science communication, with a particular focus on the discovery of new antimicrobial agents, and biosynthesis of natural and unnatural products.
In penning this piece, I find myself caught between Greek philosopher Heraclitus (‘change is the only constant’) and wayward chemistry teacher Walter White (‘chemistry is the study of change’). While Walter White is not a chemistry educator we should strive to emulate too closely, and following Heraclitus (‘The Weeping Philosopher’) may also lead to less than happy outcomes, change is nonetheless a dominant theme in our School of late.
We have welcomed five new academic colleagues this year: Cassandra (Cassi) Fleming (from whom you’ll hear more in a few paragraphs’ time), our Sydney Horizon Fellows Haihui Joy Jiang and Wesley Dose, and Horizon Educators Henry Motavu and Pierre Naeyaert (from whom we’ll hear more in subsequent editions). We’ve had great new hires join our executive and administrative teams too, with appointment of Jessica Regan as Executive Officer, Edmund Titterton as Executive Assistant and Project Officer, and Joy Ghrayche as Research Administration Officer in a continuing capacity, plus recruitment of Zeinab Hazime and Huma Bilal to our Education Support Team. It is wonderful to have so many dynamic new colleagues driving teaching and research across the School.
There has been much else to celebrate so far this year, including national recognition for Liz New OAM, awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours, and Thomas Maschmeyer AO, appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the King’s Birthday Honours. Our School of Chemistry Alumna and USyd colleague Georgina Long AO is 2024 Australian of the Year with Richard Scolyer AO. Georgina completed BSc Honours and a PhD in organic chemistry in the School – an inspiration for us all, and showcasing one of the many exciting directions in which Chemistry Honours can take you.
We have two finalists in the 2024 Eureka Awards: Kate Jolliffe in the Outstanding Mentor of Researchers category, and Alice Motion with the CLOAK team for STEM Inclusion. Alice and the CLOAK Team have challenged a science stereotype by bringing together LGBTQIA+ scientists and emerging fashion designers to reinvent the traditional white lab coat as a symbol of queer pride. And just last week, we heard that Girish Lakhwani has won an ARC Future Fellowship, joining an elite group of outstanding researchers that now includes eight members of our School.
Our Breaking Good team (a happy antidote to Walter White and Breaking Bad) hosted more than 200 high school students from NSW public schools in our teaching labs in June. Breaking Good is a citizen science drug discovery project that engages high school and undergraduate students to be active researchers in projects to improve human health. The students are helping synthesise compounds to be tested against Mycetoma, a fungal and neglected tropical disease, as part of their Year 12 Depth Study.
We have reshaped and relaunched our internal newsletter, with Chemistry Distillates (the name that won out in the poll to choose a new moniker) now going out monthly to the School, some stand-out stories from which follow below. And we are just putting the finishing touches on our School of Chemistry Strategy 2024–2026, which outlines a series of initiatives in teaching, research, community, and culture that we will work together to realise over the next few years. Please drop me a note if you would like a copy of this once it is finalised.
Ngā mihi.