Professor Sara Couperthwaite has received the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) David and Valerie Solomon Award for her research transforming mining waste into high purity alumina for safer lithium-ion batteries with industry partner Lava Blue.
Presented by the ATSE, the David and Valerie Solomon Award is an early-mid career award for a science or technology graduate working in academia/research or industry research and development who demonstrates substantial ability to foster research-industry collaboration and knowledge transfer for the benefit of Australia.
Professor Couperthwaite, from the QUT School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, is an industrial chemist whose research aims to transform the sustainability of mineral processing and secure critical minerals to power the renewable energy transition.
She leads a team that achieved a breakthrough in the production of high purity alumina, a material that improves the performance and safety of lithium-ion batteries.
Now, in a cutting-edge partnership with Lava Blue, she is developing and commercialising a pathway to transform mining waste, which currently fills tailings dams across Australia, into HPA for export markets.
“It’s a great honour to receive the David and Valerie Solomon Award for industry research and collaboration,” Professor Couperthwaite said.
“It’s a passion of mine to work with industry but it can be a difficult pathway for early to mid-career researchers to take and this award makes overcoming those challenges really worthwhile. It also shows other academics that you can be recognised and valued for industry research and hopefully this will inspire others to take a similar path.”
Professor Couperthwaite was awarded a 2023 Australian Financial Review Higher Education Award (Industry Engagement) and recently received an ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellowship to focus on developing sustainable critical mineral supplies using technology not dependent on fossil fuels.
“Ultimately, it’s a puzzle and it takes a number of people to solve that puzzle. The collaboration component to make sure what we do will really have an impact in the world is what excites me,” she said.
“The impact of what I want to see is twofold. It’s to see these new materials that we are developing used in renewable technologies to support new industries within Australia, and therefore reduce our emissions so we have a future. That’s a key thing for me as a mum with two young boys.”
The awardees were recognised at the 2024 ATSE Awards Gala Dinner at Metropolis Melbourne last night for “making major breakthroughs that are changing the way Australians work, live and play”.
ATSE President, Dr Katherine Woodthorpe AO FTSE, said the winners are emblematic of how applied science and technology are making Australian lives better.
“The 2024 ATSE Award winners are proof that innovation in Australia is alive and well. These winners are showcasing the innovations that will catalyse Australia’s future industries and unlock prosperity, safety and sustainability for all Australians,” said Dr Woodthorpe.
“Spanning inventions and discoveries in renewable technologies, health, infrastructure, food and biodiversity, the awardees showcase the value of Australian ingenuity. This must be cherished, nurtured and grown so that Australia continues to inspire future generations of STEM leaders.”
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