Year Highlights
ACADEMIC POSITION
Lecturer, University of New South Wales in the School of Chemistry, January 2018-
2020
Research Highlights
Published Journal of Physical Chemistry A and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomy papers as two-author publications with my students
Three collaboration papers with astronomers published utilising new TiO line list
Juan started his PhD and Jasmin and Pana completed their Honours research, and Felix, Samuel, Jensen and Alicia worked with the group for smaller projects on a variety of topics
We moved our group communication (including meetings) and file organisation to Microsoft Teams, and innovating some different ways to ask for and provide support and feedback
Teaching Highlights
Co-developed and successfully delivered an innovative online Python module for ~ 20 Honours students and 30 auditors (undergrads, PhD students, postdocs)
DataCamp used to teach Python programming
Challenges used
Moved to online teaching mid-term for advanced First Year Professional Skills (computational chemistry + research engagement) workshops, taking advantage of the format to organise for international guests for our students to interview
Term 2 delivery of first-year chemistry content online:
Four weeks of two-hour Mastery lectures: learning how to effectively work with chat
Four weeks of one-hour Threshold workshops, experimenting with best format to decide on Kahoots + Slido questions + teaching assistant in chat
Online tutorial delivery; definitely a challenging shift with the tutes designed for group problem-solving
Helped develop the online exam, innovating questions and trying to design a reasonably collaboration/ Google-proof exam
Service Highlights
As Member of UNSW EDI committee
Co-organised "Fostering Cultural and Racial Inclusivity" 1 hr webinar for UNSW Chemistry, attended by > 80 people, July 2020.
Led the organisation of "Managing Mental Health in Academia" 1 hr special webinar seminar for Faculty of Science, September 2020, recruiting presenter University of Queensland Dr Marissa Edwards to present.
As RACI Physical Chemistry (Secretary), Organised and sustained fortnightly webinars from 15th July 2020 with average audience ~ 50-60, with regular experimentation on format especially breakout rooms. The developed "standard" format is two 30-min talks + 30 min breakout rooms (attendance ~ 20) with discussion topic. Two minute research talks for PhD students are being tested (September), with other innovative sessions to come.
2019
Research Highlights
1 Honours student and 1 visiting 6 month practicuum student started February 2019
Submitted a lead and corresponding author paper on the Mathematical Framework for RmatReact, a new method of treating all scattering processes in ultracold molecular-atom collisions
Submitted a lead and corresponding author paper on line list of TiO
Invited to speak at
Royal Society Discussion Meeting on H3+: January, London [fully funded]
Prague Workshop on Digital Exoplanets: January, Prague [fully funded]
Asian Pacific Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (APATCC) conference, September, Sydney
Newcastle University
Fringe Festival Lecture Series at Flinders University [fully funded]
University of Adelaide [partially funded]
Teaching Highlights
Mastery classes for CHEM1031, incorporating:
One week of Science Citizenship and Cohort Building
Four weeks of Computational Chemistry
One week of ChemDraw
Two weeks of Research Exposure: Students interview a PhD student, create an infographic and share amongst other students
Updated and expanded lectures on Foundations of Quantum Chemistry for CHEM3011
Developed two week three-hour lab exercise "Write Your Own Hartree Fock" for CHEM3011
Developed three workshops for CHEM3011, incorporating:
Basics of Python, including Matplotlib
Exploring Basis sets
Service Highlights
Elected as Secretary for the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) PhysChem division
Selected as Member of RACI Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee
Led the research project component of pilot summer school for Science Extension students, where students used computational infrared spectroscopy to explore how to identify biosignatures in exoplanets
Part of the Local Organising Committee for APATCC 2019 (Sydney)
2018
Research Highlights
PhD student Anna Syme has commenced research on proton-to-electron mass variation
First accepted corresponding and first author paper at UNSW on ZrO energy levels, with UNSW student as lead student co-author
New collaboration with Amir Karton leads to Aust. J. Chem. paper
In 2018, hosted 8 undergraduate students on short projects in a range of areas
Determining and fostering key research group tools for research and sharing expertise: Latex using Overleaf, Python with matplotlib, GitHub, Group Website (with code snippets, resource links etc supplied by myself and students), shared Google Drive, Raijin supercomputer, collating online significant set of articulated skills and attributes for use by students in applications
Invited conference speeches in Windsor UK, Seoul South Korea and Mumbai India.
Teaching Highlights
Developed and delivered new six-lecture series on fundamental quantum chemistry methodologies (CHEM3011)
Unusual experimental delivery of Intro to Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy for first year course CHEM1011 (focusing on orbitals and energy levels, ignoring photo-electric effect, wave properties of light, wave-particle duality etc), and development of Noble Prize Rock Star concert lounges as analogy for electronic configuration rules
Negotiated school consensus with regards to new undergraduate research initiatives in first, second and third year, particularly group meetings (with EDI consideration and more), explicit skill development and articulation, and cohort building
Service Highlights
Chair of UNSW Chemistry Outreach and Marketing Committee 2018-
Lead Chemistry coordinator of Open Day, 3 large school visits
Created and refined vision document, and strategy
Member of UNSW Chemistry Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee 2018-
Organised R U Ok? Day morning tea in Chemistry