Martina Stenzel

I grew up in Bad Windsheim,  a small town in Bavaria, Germany, where I attended the Georg-Wilhelm Steller Gymnasium. I was already very passionate about chemistry in school and as soon as I finished school, I started a degree in chemistry at the University of Bayreuth, Germany. Later, I completed my PhD at the University of Stuttgart on Cu(I) containing polymer membranes for gas separation. 

EDUCATION

1996-99 Ph.D. in Macromolecular Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, Germany

1990-96 MSc. in Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Germany

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

Since 2024 Deputy Dean for External Engagement (Industry)

Since 2021 Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellow

Since 2020 Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales

Since 2018 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science

Since 2018  Centenary Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

Since 2017 Scientia Professor at UNSW

2017-2025     Co-Director of the ARC ITTC for Chemical Industries

2014-2016 Professor in Chemistry at UNSW

2013-2020     Co-director of CAMD

2012-2013     Professor in Chemical Engineering 

2009-2013     ARC Future Fellow

2008-2011     Associate Professor at UNSW

2005–2007    Senior Lecturer at UNSW

2002-2005    Lecturer at the School of Chemical Engineering and Industrial Chemistry (UNSW) within CAMD.

12/99-2002 Research Associate at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology and the Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD), University of New South Wales, Australia.

EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES

Editorial Advisory Committee (Progress in Polymer Science, ACS MacroLetters, Macromolecules, Polymer)

Editor in chief of RSC journal Materials Horizons

Scientific Advisory Board of Angewandte Chemie

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES (MEMBER OF)

2015-2021: Member and the chair of the National Chemistry Committee of the Australian Academy of Science

2012-2014 Honorary General Secretary of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

Since 2012 Australian Representative of the Pacific Polymer Council

2008-2011 Chair of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Polymer Division

AWARDS

2021 IUPAC Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

2020 Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales

2019 Liversidge Lecture of the Royal Society of New South Wales

2018 Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science

2017 HG Smith Medal

2013 NSW Science and Engineering award

2013 Exxon Mobile award

2012 RACI polymer division citation award

2011 LeFevre Medal of the Australian Academy of Science

2009 UNSW Engineering Excellence Award for Research

2009 ARC Future Fellow

2008 RACI “Sangster Award” to an outstanding polymer scientist under the age of 40.

2006 Finalist of the Eureka Prize of the Australian Museum, Category “People’s choice award” and “UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific research”

2005 John Yu fellowship to visit the Melville Laboratories at the University of Cambridge, England

1999 DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship