In this interview, Professor Cordelia shares insights into her research, reflects on her journey, discusses changes in the engineering landscape, and offers valuable advice for students.
Professor Cordelia Selomulya joined UNSW in December 2019 as a Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering and as the Research & Commercialisation Director of the Future Food Systems CRC. With extensive experience in spray drying and functional dairy and food powders, she was one of ten new Fellows elected to the Institute of Food Technologists in 2024.
In this interview, Professor Cordelia shares insights into her research, reflects on her journey, discusses changes in the engineering landscape, and offers valuable advice for students.
My team at UNSW is improving plant proteins for functional foods, aiming for scalable, eco-friendly, and practical solutions. Research motivation comes from tackling challenging problems and available resources. My research experience collaborating with Victoria's dairy industry also shaped my career, highlighting chemical engineering's versatility. Despite not being a food scientist, I was honoured to be elected as a Fellow of IFT in 2024, showing the broad applicability of chemical engineering.
A recent experience was hearing that formulations from our lab were successfully scaled up in commercial trials, potentially expanding operations globally. This confirms the practical impact of our work beyond publications. Additionally, seeing my PhD students succeed, like one who recently secured a major research grant in the UK, is very satisfying.
We need more skilled engineers as industries evolve with automation, sustainability, and decarbonisation. Generative AI will make research more efficient, but strong scientific fundamentals are crucial. Australia needs to increase R&D investment, especially from industry, to foster true innovation and upskill our workforce.
Australia has untapped potential, as we mainly export raw agricultural products. Exceptions like the dairy industry show the value of processing high-value ingredients locally. The global functional foods market is growing rapidly, and ideally, Australia should not rely on imports of these products. Our research aims to enhance local processing capabilities and shift the country's position in the global market.
Food involves significant science and innovation, even in everyday items like potato chips. Growing environmental awareness demands creative solutions for sustainable practices. Students should pursue topics they are passionate about, starting with projects or programs that explore new ideas, as opportunities are abound in this field.
As Australia’s best engineering faculty turns 75, there are just as many reasons why we’ve earned that title. Discover new stories weekly, celebrating the successes that have enabled progress for all.
