Kenneth R. Seddon – A Rock Star of Ionic Liquids

Dr Karolina Matuszek received her Ph.D. degree from the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, Poland, in 2017. During this time, she collaborated with Professor Seddon and Dr Swadźba-Kwaśny. Currently Karolina is a Research Fellow at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) supervised by Professor Douglas MacFarlane. Karolina’s research is focused on the synthesis and application of ionic liquids as catalysts and phase change materials.

Dr Mega Kar completed her undergraduate degree with honours at The University of Melbourne in 2008. She then went on to study for her doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree at Monash University (2012–2015). Dr Kar is currently a Laureate Research Fellow at Monash University, lecturing and specialising in IL synthesis and electrochemistry and working on electrodeposition and metal batteries. Along with Professor Douglas MacFarlane and Associate Professor Jennifer Pringle, she has co-authored a textbook titled ‘Fundamentals of Ionic Liquid Science – From Chemistry to Applications’, published in 2017.

Professor Doug MacFarlane is an Australian Laureate Fellow and leader of the Energy Program in the Australian Centre for Electromaterials Science. He is one of the pioneers of the field of ionic liquids and his group, along with collaborators in Australia and worldwide, has published more than 650 papers and 30 patents. Professor MacFarlane was a B.Sc.(Hons) graduate of Victoria University Wellington and obtained his Ph.D. degree from Purdue University. He was appointed Professor of Chemistry at Monash University in 1995. He was elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2007 and was awarded the Academy’s Craig Medal for achievement in chemistry in 2018. He was elected to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2009. He is an International Fellow of the Queen’s University Belfast and a Visiting Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.