Emeritus Prof. Geoffrey Lawrance

Biography

I have an excellent and long-standing record of consistently successful research extending over several decades, across the areas of project design, implementation and reporting of results. My contribution to chemistry is broad and strong, as attested by my many publications, regular success with grants from government and industry, and research student completions. Apart from being the author of ~300 research papers and reviews in international journals published over the past three decades, my research has been presented widely in invited lectures at conferences and is well cited. My citation h-index is high at 31, with 18.2 average citations per item, and 144 average citations per year. Major reviews have appeared in the two highest-cited chemistry review journals, Accounts of Chemical Research and Chemical Reviews, amongst other key journals and monographs. I have recently co-authored a major chapter in Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II and authored a review article in the Encyclopaedia of Inorganic Chemistry II.

Research includes several decades of work at the forefront of metal coordination chemistry. In particular, my contributions to synthesis and physical properties of acyclic and macrocyclic molecules and their compounds are internationally recognised. In a long-term association with A/Prof M. Maeder and external collaborators, I have developed an internationally-known family of C-pendant macrocycles and examined both their coordination chemistry and potential as vehicles for engineering different and larger molecules. Further, I have proposed and developed a range of other ligand topologies. Project-relevant studies of stereochemistry and optical activity in complexes have been a continuing area of interest for decades. I have deep experience in inorganic reaction mechanisms, including pioneering work in the use of high pressures to probe reaction mechanisms. The development of significant and novel inorganic chemistry employing the trifluoromethanesulfonate ion is indicative of the breadth of my academic research.

My contribution to research has been noted by the award of the national Royal Australian Chemical Institutes Rennie Medal for research, and by award of a Doctor of Science degree. I have also supervised many honours and research students; some past doctoral students hold continuing academic positions in Australia and overseas, and others hold senior industrial research appointments in Australia, Europe and America. I have extensive prior and current collaborative research projects with other groups in Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Western Australia, and Monash Universities) and overseas (University of Heidelberg, Germany; University of Barcelona, Spain; University of St Andrews, UK; Victoria University of Wellington, NZ, amongst others).

Chemistry related to mineral processing or treatment has been my major area of applied research, and I have developed projects in hydrometallurgy, waste treatment, minerals recovery from ore, and electrolytic manganese dioxide for batteries.

I am the founding co-editor of the international journal Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms, which published papers in coordination, organometallic and bioinorganic chemistry. I was also from 1998-2004 inclusive on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Australian Journal of Chemistry. In addition, I am a regular assessor of manuscripts for a range of major international journals (including imprints of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry). I have served as an examiner of about thirty M.Sc., Ph.D. and D.Sc. theses from institutes within Australia and overseas.

My research profile has been achieved and continued at a consistently strong level despite long-standing substantial administrative positions within the University (including Head of Department, 1992-2000; Deputy Dean of Science and Mathematics, 1994-mid-2001; Dean of Science and Mathematics, mid-2001-2002). The ability to balance these tasks while performing at a continuously strong level in research is evident from my strong research outcomes over the past decade.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Science, University of Queensland, 1991
• Graduate Diploma in Education (Tertiary Teaching), University of Melbourne, 1977
• PhD, University of Queensland, 1973
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Queensland, 1970
• Bachelor of Science, University of Queensland, 1969

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Research

Research keywords

• chemical analysis
• chemical synthesis
• coordination chemistry

Research expertise

Research has covered a broad range over recent years, but is centred on inorganic chemistry, and particularly metal coordination chemistry. It has involved contributions to the following fields: coordination chemistry; inclusion and encapsulation chemistry; bioinorganic chemistry; metal-directed syntheses of macrocyclic ligands; synthesis of polydentate ligand; kinetics and thermodynamics of polydentate ligand complexation; electrochemistry and spectroscopy of coordination complexes; inorganic reaction mechanisms; pressure-dependent kinetics and activation volumes; stopped-flow kinetics; metal-catalysed hydrolysis of phosphate esters, RNA and DNA; metal complexes for selective DNA cleavage; mechanisms of inorganic cluster formation; X-ray crystal structures and molecular modeling of metal coordination compounds; trifluoromethanesulfonate complexes as synthons; synthetic, structural and mechanistic studies of polyoxometallate clusters; applied chemistry of hydroxide precipitation of metal ions from waste waters; applied chemistry and electrochemistry of manganese oxides, particularly battery grade electrolytic manganese dioxide.

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
030200	Inorganic Chemistry	60
030699	Physical Chemistry Not Elsewhere Classified	30
091499	Resources Engineering And Extractive Metallurgy Not Elsewhere Classified	10

Memberships

Editorial Board.

• Co-Editor of International Journal - Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms

Appointments

Guest Professor East China University of Science and Technology (China)	01/12/2006
Visiting Professor Guizhou Normal University (China)	01/12/2006
Guest Professor Guizhou University (China)	01/12/2006

Awards

Distinction.

1987	Fellow Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Australia) Fellowship is limited to a small percentage of members, and is awarded based on contribution to the field.

Research Award.

1982	Rennie Medal Royal Australian Chemical Institute (Australia) Annual national award for reserch performance by a young chemist.

Invitations

PhD examiner various, Australia (PHD Examiner.)

2007

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

I have served widely as a member and or chair at different times over a period of several decades on Academic Senate, on various university committees (research, promotions, etc), faculty committees, and school and department/ discipline committees.

I had approximately ten years continuous experience as Head of the Department of Chemistry.

For over six years, I held the continuing senior position of Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Mathematics. This was during times of significant development and change in the Faculty and, more widely, in the University. As the Deputy Dean my r¿le was diverse, ranging from representing and acting for the Dean in his absence, consultation with the Dean regarding aspects of Faculty management and policy and with regard to Faculty responses to wider University issues, through to policy development for the Faculty.

Subsequently, I served for a semester as the last Dean of Science and Mathematics, immediately prior to introduciton of the new Faculty structure.

I currently serve as an Assistant Dean in Science & IT.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• chemical sciences
• course development
• program development

Teaching expertise

My teaching career in chemical sciences is extensive, and I have taught in a number of universities. I have a formal tertiary teaching qualification and a career-long interest and involvement in teaching and its development. I have extensive experience in both course and program development (including new degree development, such as the B.Sc.(Forensic) and M. Sc. Studies). I have published papers in chemical education and presented work at science education meetings. Further, I was earlier heavily involved at the secondary-tertiary interface through membership of the NSW HSC Examination committee and NSW Board of Studies Science Syllabus Committees, and was a co-author of a revision of the chemistry science syllabus in 1994 as well as a participant for the NSW Board of Studies in development of the current syllabus. I have developed or participated in student outreach and development schemes, including the national UnIChe program for top quality students in chemistry and chemical engineering, as co-grantee of major DETYA and other grants. I was also co-director of a DETYA project to assess innovation in science teacher preparation at a national level, and co-author of the published report.

Teaching interests

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Applied Chemistry
  

Programs

Courses

• CHEM3210 - Metal Complexation, Structure & Reactivity
• CHEM4110 - Chemistry Honours 4110
• CHEM4120 - Chemistry Honours 4120
• CHEM4210 - Chemistry Honours 4210
• CHEM4220 - Chemistry Honours 4220