Thomas Gao: Engineering a better world
As Senior Manager at the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Thomas applies engineering thinking to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
When Thomas first started studying towards a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical Engineering) at UNSW, he admits he was motivated by the amazing facilities on offer at the Engineering faculty.
“I saw those big machines and thought, I want to get my hands on them!” he smiles, recalling his early days of study.
Today, he still loves testing out new technologies, but his motivation has evolved.
“I’m trying to help people,” he says, his eyes lighting up when he talks about his eight-year-old daughter and the world he hopes she will inherit.
“I get up early each day, thinking what can I do today to make it even better for myself, for my family, for everyone?”
His role at the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer sees him working across many different challenges, often all at once. He contributes engineering thinking to issues such as energy efficiency, fuel shortages, decarbonisation and contamination from substances like lead and abestos.
“Every day it feels like I’m working in a different industry area. One day I’ll be working on a liquid fuel emergency response, the next I’ll be figuring out how digital infrastructure planning is going to impact NSW,” says Thomas.
He particularly enjoys how working at the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer gives him a bird-eye view of the challenges facing the state.
“We try to link solutions together so we can tackle challenges systematically, rather than one by one,” says Thomas, who identifies strongly with UNSW’s commitment to Progress for All.
Thomas speaking at the World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Singapore, sharing his work and projects at UNSW and from the Office.
From policy to real-world impact
The Office also runs a grants program that identifies major challenges facing NSW and invites businesses to develop practical solutions.
“For example, we might identify that koalas need more support, or that microplastics are a huge problem in water, or that vision-impaired people require better infrastructure – and we then find small businesses who have the ability to solve these issues,” explains Thomas.
The NSW Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program supports local small and medium-sized businesses to pilot new technologies, helping them move from idea to implementation while solving real problems for the community.
“This is one of many programs ran from our Office. It has a huge impact on people, both here in NSW and also across Australia and the world – because often these are global issues.”
How UNSW shaped his engineering career
Thomas credits his time at UNSW for preparing him for this role and the impact he’s now able to make.
“Studying Chemical Engineering at UNSW is a life-giving gift,” he says. “It was hands-on from day one.”
Originally enrolled in Food Science, Thomas switched to Chemical Engineering within his first week after seeing the large-scale engineering equipment and design work happening in the labs.
“I saw the massive pressure vessels and wastewater distribution columns and thought these are the big toys I want to work with,” he laughs.
He’s also grateful for how his degree taught him to think logically, solve problems and communicate ideas clearly.
“We learned how to ask the right questions to our professors and tutors, and how to communicate ideas as panellists,” he explains.
“That communication training is something I didn’t fully appreciate until I started working – and now I’m grateful for it every day.”
Other highlights of his time at UNSW was completing an internship under the Taste of Research Summer Scholarship Program at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology where he was mentored by Professor Pierrer Le-Clech and then-director and head of school Professor Vicki Chen.
Highlights of his time leading business development and partnership building at the Decarbonisation Innovation Hub was working and learning from leading academics, including Scientia Professor Rose Amal, Prof. Deo Prasad, Prof. John Flecher and Dr Rahman Daiyan.
“Being in the same environment as these academics – among the top engineering experts in the world – was very inspiring and rewarding,” says Thomas.
Thomas during his summer break in Singapore in his third year, figuring out what career path he wanted.
Thomas's thesis presentation near the end of his fourth year.
What Thomas valued most about studying at UNSW
Practical experience
Hands-on learning from day one
Industry-connected learning experiences
Engineering knowledge
Learning to solve real-world engineering problems
Being taught by globally recognised academics
Learning environment
Access to world-class facilities and equipment
Building communication and teamwork skills
Always learning, always improving
When he reflects on his career so far, Thomas sees his work as contributing towards people having enough of what they need: enough fuel, enough energy, enough access to safe drinking water.
That’s what connects the many projects that come across his desk.
But he stops short of calling himself an expert.
“I’m really reluctant to call myself an expert in any area, because when I start calling myself an expert, that means I’ll stop learning,” he explains.
Instead, curiosity is what continues to drive him – along with the belief that there is always a better way to do things.
“I have never done one single project just by myself. It’s always a team effort.”
For Thomas, a career in engineering has never just been about technical knowledge. It’s about improving lives, solving problems together and leaving things better than he found them.
He wanted to give back by joining the Chemical Engineering School Industry Advisory Board. “This is where I can bring together my study, industry experience and UNSW connections to help improve the learning experience for future students."
And if his daughter one day picks up where his generation leaves off, he hopes she’ll keep asking the same question he asks himself every morning: “How can we make this even better?”
Thomas with his daughter Sheryl.
Thomas's engineering degree by numbers
- 1 advanced thesis
- 1 capstone project
- 1 design project
- 1 degree with First Class Honours
- 1 summer internship completed at the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology
About the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical Engineering)
The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical Engineering) is a four-year degree preparing students to design, create and optimise the systems and equipment used in chemical, industrial, biological and environmental processes. Chemical engineers are often known as “universal engineers” due to their skills in chemistry, physics, maths and economics.
This hands-on program is fully accredited with Engineers Australia at the level of Professional Engineer and graduates are recognised internationally through the Washington Accord. Graduates work across a range of industries, including design, construction, energy, fuels, pharmaceuticals, government, law and mining.
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