Special issue dedicated to Professor Glen Deacon

Peter Junk completed his PhD in 1988 under the supervision of Colin Raston at The University of Western Australia. He obtained a DSc from James Cook University for his international reputation in organometallic chemistry of the main group and rare earth elements. After a short stint in the petroleum industry, Peter held several postdoctoral positions, with Jerry Atwood at the University of Alabama, Allan White at UWA and Glen Deacon at Monash University. In 1997, Peter joined James Cook University as a Lecturer. He moved to Monash University in 2001 where he was promoted to Professor. In 2012, he moved back to James Cook University as the Nevitt Professor of Chemistry. His main research interests are in rare earth and main group organometallic, organoamido and aryloxo chemistry, but has applied interests in corrosion inhibition. He has published in excess of 450 publications and reviews. He has been a recipient of the Burrows Award, and the Terrae Rarae award for recognition of his contributions to Rare Earth Chemistry. He is currently on the College of Experts at the ARC.

George Koutsantonis is a synthetic chemist with an interest in functional materials that contain metals. He is a graduate of the University of Adelaide where he obtained his BSc(Hons) and PhD degree, the latter under the supervision of Michael Bruce. He began his scientific life studying the coordination properties and reactions of alkynes and often returns to this fascinating area. He undertook a postdoctoral position at the University of Kentucky. After a fruitful period in the USA, he returned to Australia on an inaugural ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship at Griffith University in 1991. In Brisbane, still essentially an inorganic chemist, worked with Main Group hydrides of Group 13. He was appointed to the staff at the University of Western Australia in 1995, where he remains as Professor. In Perth, he established an independent research programme in organometallic and inorganic chemistry. His work in this area was recognised by the joint award of the RACI Organometallic Award. He is currently Co-editor in Chief of the Australian Journal of Chemistry. When not working, he is an enthusiastic amateur cabinetmaker and has for many years exhibited purebred German Shorthaired Pointers under the Dürers prefix.