
The UNSW Science Advisory Council is comprised of leaders from government, public service and industry. They lend their energy, expertise and influence to pursue UNSW Science’s vision to be recognised globally as a leading faculty renowned for its high calibre graduates, innovative teaching methods and research creating global impact.
The Advisory Council acts as an invaluable source of advice, support and information to the Dean to carry out the faculty’s vision. They recognise that business, government and management organisations are important stakeholders in our success. Our members commit to a program of active engagement with UNSW Science and convene as a collective body three times per year.
Sven is an internationally recognised expert in condensed matter physics and quantum information science. He has held several research and leadership positions at UNSW since joining from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands in 2011 including the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research).
Denise has extensive experience working in complex commercial and regulated government cultural institutions of national significance in Australia and the United Kingdom. Denise leads a diverse team responsible for over 1100 hectares of Sydney’s prime public parklands and botanic gardens.
Juliet is a consulting Partner at EY and is responsible for advising public and private sector clients on workforce development strategy. A registered psychologist, Juliet holds a PhD from UNSW in organisation and management and is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in education and leadership.
John works for the New York-based Private Equity firm, American Industrial Partners (AIP), and is currently the CEO of CQMS Razer, an AIP portfolio company. John trained as a Chemical Engineer and has an MBA through the University of Queensland.
Matthew Connell is the Principal Curator at the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. He is currently an Adjunct Professor with the UNSW iCinema Centre for Interactive Cinema. Matthew has a Bachelor Degree in Applied Science (Physics) and worked in geophysics, microelectronics research and computing.
Trevor Danos AM is a lawyer, company director and strategic advisor. He chairs Northern Sydney Local Health District and the NSW Treasury Social Investment Expert Advisory Group. He is a director of Endeavour Energy and is a member of the ANZ Square Kilometre Array Coordination Committee.
Justin is the founder and head of the Australian office of Hakluyt, a boutique global management consultancy. Justin is well-known for his long history in politics and corporate advisory, and was a recognised leader in the national government relations industry for almost two decades before joining Hakluyt.
Cameron commenced his career as an agricultural scientist in animal health then moved into business roles in FMCG and consumer healthcare. He joined the Taronga Conservation Society Australia in 2000 and has held various senior management positions responsible in life sciences, conservation, education, communications and stakeholder management.
As Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, Kim is responsible for strategic planning and management of the nation’s first museum, including a collection of over 18 million natural science and cultural objects. Since being appointed to the Director’s role in April 2014, Kim has initiated an impressive transformation program.
Dr Simone Richter holds a PhD in Physics from the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, a Master of Management from Malik Management Center and joined the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in February 2016, having built a distinguished career in nuclear and accelerator physics and as a senior science manager driving transformational change.
Paul’s executive career spans 30 years, having commenced with Macquarie Bank. Paul led global financial markets businesses for Bankers Trust, Zurich Capital Markets and Westpac. Paul also has extensive government experience, including as an advisor to the NSW Secretary of the Treasury through his membership of the NSW State ALCO and as General Manager, Financial Markets, for the NSW Treasury Corporation. Paul also serves on the Policy Council of the Banking and Finance Oath.
Science journalist and broadcaster Robyn Williams presents RN's The Science Show and Ockham's Razor. Early in his career, he made guest appearances in The Goodies, Monty Python's Flying Circus and Doctor Who, and stood in for Tom Jones for four months in his TV series.
Holstein started her career in the mining sector as a process engineer and now works as a Business Development Manager at Emesent, a robotics and automation startup in Brisbane. She studied Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW and is a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in STEM.
Cathy is a UNSW Alumni with a Bachelor in Aviation (Management) and ten years of experience working within the Aviation industry. She's held several roles at Qantas and, in her current role, she is responsible for leading the execution of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program strategy.
Dr Emma Mitchell is a Senior Principal Research Scientist and Team Leader for Quantum Devices & Materials at CSIRO Manufacturing, Lindfield. Her research is focussed on the development of superconducting electronics capability, including the manufacture, characterization, design and development of Josephson junction-based sensors such as Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs). Most recently her work has focussed on extending this research to arrays of SQUIDs for applications requiring ultra-sensitive magnetic field detectors in the exploration, defence, medical and aerospace industries. Emma Mitchell received her undergraduate honours degree in physics from Macquarie University and completed her PhD on low dimensional semiconductor systems in the quantum limit at the University of NSW. She has previously worked on the biophysics of artificial lipid membranes, and the surface physics of emulsions and organic monolayers.