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| Dear UQ Chem Eng Alumni and Friends,
I hope 2026 has been treating you well so far. Our campuses are buzzing once again with the arrival of new student cohorts for Semester 1. It’s wonderful to see the Andrew N. Liveris Building full of energy, with students back in classrooms, laboratories, and collaborative learning spaces. I am also pleased to share that UQ has once again been ranked #1 in Australia for Chemical Engineering and has risen to 36th in the world in the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject. These results reflect the strength of our teaching and learning, research excellence, and the dedication of our people. Honouring the life and legacy of Ted White - Smoko for Ted invitation It is with deep sadness that I acknowledge the passing of Emeritus Professor Edward “Ted” White AM, whose extraordinary 60-year career at The University of Queensland had a profound impact on chemical engineering and on generations of students. Ted made significant contributions to the study of sugar crystallisation, authoring around 260 journal articles and holding two patents to improve centrifuge performance. Above all, he was a dedicated educator and mentor. His legacy continues through the Ted White AM Opportunity Fund, which supports chemical engineering students, particularly PhD candidates, women, low-SES students, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, by providing access to study tours, industry placements, conferences, and world-class learning resources.
The School will host a Smoko in Ted’s honour on Friday 10 April, from 4-6pm, at the Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre (beside UQ Lakes), UQ St Lucia campus. On behalf of the School, I warmly invite those who knew Ted to join us for a BBQ and refreshments as we reflect, connect, and celebrate the life and contributions of a much loved colleague and educator.
We'd love to see you there, for catering purposes please RSVP here. If you would like to share a tribute or story for the White family, we have a digital card you can sign here. |
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| Sustainable Energy Field Trip to Gladstone and Heron Island I was delighted to join our recent Sustainable Energy field trip to Gladstone and Heron Island, which gave students valuable exposure to the technical, environmental and cultural dimensions of Australia’s energy transition.
Students visited major industrial operations across the Gladstone region, including Queensland Alumina Limited, Santos GLNG, NRG Gladstone Power Station and Alpha HPA.
It was especially pleasing to see so many School alumni generously sharing their expertise within these organisations. |
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| | | Students on Sustainable Energy Field Trip |
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| This industry experience was complemented at Heron Island Research Station, where students explored the challenges of remote energy systems while experiencing the beauty and fragility of the Great Barrier Reef. A personal highlight of the trip for me was a powerful workshop led by Dr Anita Heiss, whose reflections on sacred places, story, identity and caring for Country reinforced the vital role of cultural understanding in shaping responsible and ethical approaches to the energy transition. Thank you to our industry partners and alumni for their generous support in making this a meaningful educational experience for our students. |
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| Research outcomes Our School’s research was recently featured in UQ News, highlighting work by Dr Zhuyuan Wang and Professor Xiwang Zhang that addresses a key challenge in clean energy technologies. Their research shows how ultra thin membranes used in fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers can be made significantly stronger without sacrificing performance, improving durability under harsh operating conditions. This advance has the potential to enhance the efficiency, reliability and longevity of technologies critical to global decarbonisation efforts. This is truly remarkable work. I encourage you to read more here. |
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| International Women's Day
I was pleased to attend the UQ Women in Engineering Breakfast at Brisbane City Hall, where alumni, students and industry leaders came together to reaffirm our shared responsibility in advancing equity, leadership and opportunity. The discussions throughout the morning reinforced the importance of sustained, everyday action in shaping a more inclusive future for our profession, and provided a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on what Balance the Scales truly means in practice across engineering. Each year, I am incredibly proud of the progress and successes we continue to make in advancing gender equity within our School. |
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| | | Chem Eng staff at the UQ Women in Engineering Breakfast |
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| Vale: David Ryerson - Class of 1964
In other sad news, we share the passing of alumnus David Ryerson, aged 83, who lived a remarkable life of service, scholarship and leadership across Australia’s industrial, energy and manufacturing sectors. A Shore scholar and multi‑degree graduate of the University of Queensland, David’s distinguished career spanned senior roles in petroleum, sugar manufacturing and corporate governance at CSR, and he was recognised as a Queensland Young Australian of the Year finalist as well as a devoted family man. We keep his family, colleagues and friends in our thoughts. |
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| Research Placement in UK PhD candidate and previous recipient of the Ted White Development Scholarship, Koko Kawaura has recently returned to Australia after completing a six month research placement at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. Koko worked with Professor Ana Soares on the Catalysing Net Zero project. The collaboration combined Professor Soares’ leading expertise in biological pathways for nitrous oxide reduction with Koko’s background in engineered living biomaterials, contributing to research aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment processes. During her time at Cranfield Water, Koko also developed new laboratory skills including flow cytometry, culturing and DNA extraction, and visited the campus wastewater treatment plant and pilot hall. The placement was a meaningful capstone experience in the final year of her PhD. Stories like this underscore the importance of strong global connections as we build meaningful partnerships that extend the reach and impact of our research. |
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| | | As we move forward into the year, we are excited to explore new opportunities for partnership and collaboration. Thanks for taking the time to catch up on what’s happening in the UQ School of Chemical Engineering, and don’t forget to keep up to date via our LinkedIn page. Best wishes, Justin Professor Justin Cooper-White
Head of School
School of Chemical Engineering |
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Support Chemical Engineering students A gift to the School of Chemical Engineering can help fund facilities, programs, research and scholarships, ensuring the continuation of outstanding opportunities and output.
To find out more, please visit our giving page. |
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