UNSW Leaders in Science

Associate Professor Roger Read
Senior Associate Dean and Associate Dean (Research and International), Faculty of Science

Dalton Building, Room 227
Phone: +61 2 9385 4712 - Fax: +61 2 9385 6141 - Email: r.read@unsw.edu.au

Career profilePublicationsResearchSupervision & teachingFunding

Career profile

Academic Qualifications

1972

BSc (Honours) Class 1 in Organic Chemistry, University of Sydney

Thesis title, "Studies in Indole Chemistry and the Chemical Constituents of the Bark of Melicope octandra"

1977

PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Sydney

Research supervisors, E. Ritchie and W.C. Taylor

Thesis title, "Investigations of Australian Flora and Related Studies"

1979

Diploma of Imperial College (DIC), Imperial College of Science and Technology, London

Research Director, Sir Derek Barton

Thesis title, "A Novel Synthesis of Benzyl Ethers and Related Studies"

Other Qualifications and Awards

Justice of the Peace in New South Wales (admitted 1973, renewed Aug 2006 RN151469)

Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Studentship (1973-1976)

University of Auckland Postdoctoral Fellowship (1978/1979)

Member, American Chemical Society (1980-)

Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (1988)

Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (elected 1992)

President, Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry (1996, 2004)

President, University of New South Wales Chemical Society (1996)

Member, International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry (1998-)

Chair, Organic Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2000-2003)

Consultant and Expert Witness, Unisearch Ltd (1989-present)

Citation from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2001)

Vielberth Lecturer, University of Regensburg, Germany (2002)

Member, Academic (International) Advisory Board, ACTA Manilana

President's Award, Royal Australian Chemical Institute NSW Branch (2007)

Appointments

Current

Associate Professor, School of Chemistry, and Associate Dean (Research and International), Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales

1973-1976

Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Scholar, University of Sydney

1977-1978

Temporary Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College of Science and Technology, London

1979

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, New Zealand

1980-1982

Senior Tutor, Department of Chemistry, University of Melbourne

1982-1984

Research Scientist, Materials Research Laboratories, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Maribyrnong

1985-1987

Lecturer, School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales

1987-1997

Senior Lecturer, School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales

1998-present

Associate Professor, School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales

2001-2003

Director of Research, School of Chemistry, The University of New South Wales

2001-2004

Acting Head, School of Chemistry (standing position when Head of School is absent)

2004-present

Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales

2005-present

Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales

External Appointments

1985-present

Consultant - Network for the Chemistry of Biologically Important Natural Products

1988

Visiting Scientist, Fachbereich Chemie, Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany

1993

Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana

1998

Visiting Research Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh

Teaching experience

1972-1976

University of Sydney

Second and third year tutorials and laboratory supervision

1977-1978

Imperial College, London

Second year tutorials and laboratory supervision

1980-1982

University of Melbourne

Second and third year laboratory supervision and Honours lectures.

Honours and postgraduate research student supervision

1982-1984

Materials Research Laboratories

Introductory explosives courses to Navy and Air Force personnel

1985-present

University of New South Wales

Teaching to large and small classes at all levels, from first to fourth years, through lectures, tutorials, laboratory supervision and demonstrations, with various methods of delivery, including ‘chalk and talk', overhead transparency, and Powerpoint digital projection.

Experience with subject coordination, particularly at second year, written examinations and oral assessment.

Active involvement in course restructuring.

Sole presenter of two day Explosives Chemistry course as part of the annual Royal Australian Navy Armament Engineering Courses to Australian Navy personnel (1985-1988) until relocation of Navy facility.

Invited overseas lecture courses/workshops:

• April/May 1992, Lecture Training Course and Workshop on Non-Forest Tree Products (Natural Products Chemistry) for the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organisation at the Institute for Tropical Biology, Bogor, Indonesia
• November/December 1998, Postgraduate Lecture Course and Examination on Electron Deficient Heteroaromatic Chemistry for the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
• November/December 1999, Graduate Lecture Course and Workshop, and Examination on Topics in Organic Synthesis for the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

Administrative experience

Committee participation (1985-2005)

UNSW

Member, Faculty of Science Promotions Committee for Lecturer to Senior Lecturer (1995-1997); Member, Faculty of Life Science Promotions Committee for Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor (1998-2000); Member, University of New South Wales Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Operating Committee (1996-2002; Presiding Member, 1998-2001); Member, University of New South Wales Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Management Committee (1998-2001); Chemistry Representative, Faculty Undergraduate Education Committee (2000); Member, Research Management Committee, Faculty of Science and Technology (2000-2001) and Faculty of Science (2002-2003), Member, Biological Resource Centre Advisory Board (2004), Member, Centre for Marine Biofouling and Bio-Innovation (1996-2003), Member, Biological Resources Advisory Committee (2005-2006), Member, UNSW Asia, Academic Planning Working Committee (2004-2006)

School of Chemistry(1985-2001 and 2004-)/School of Chemical Sciences(2002-2003)

Member, School Executive Committee (2001-2003); Chair, Research Management Committee (2001-2003); Elected Member, School Advisory Committee (1987-1998); Member, School of Chemistry Undergraduate Studies Committee (1996-2000; Chair, 2000); Course Coordinator for Level 2 Chemistry (1996-2001); Course Coordinator for CHEM2021 (1996-present); Coordinator for School of Chemistry Open Day (1996); Management Representative, Workplace Safety Committee, School of Chemistry (Elected member, 1986-1993 and 1999-2000; Chair, 1987-1988); Member, University of New South Wales Chemical Society (1985-present; President 1996), Management representative, Zone 4 Workplace Occupational Health and Safety Committee (Presiding Member, 1998-2001) (2001-2007).

External

Member, Organising Committee 8th RACI National Convention, University of New South Wales (1986-1987); Member, Editorial Board "Chemistry Today" (1991-1992); Member, Royal Australian Chemical Institute NSW Branch (1991-present; Honorary Secretary, 1991-1998); Member, RACI Organic Chemistry Group (1985-1988); Member, RACI Natural Product Group (1996-2001); Member, Organising Committee 16th RACI Organic Division Conference, Leura (1997-1998); Chair, Standing Committee, Organic Chemistry Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2000-2004); Co-Chair, RACI National Assembly (2002); Member, General Management and Membership Development Committee, RACI Assembly (2002-2004); Member, Finance Committee, RACI Assembly (2002-2003); Co-Convenor, Organising Committee, RACI Organic Division Conference, Cairns, July 2004; Organic Chemistry Division Representative, Organising Committee, RACI National Convention, Sydney, July 2005; NSW Representative, Australian Association of Alexander von Humboldt Fellows (1996-2005); Organising Secretary, Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry (1990-present; Conference President 1996 and 2004); Member, Sydney University Faculty of Science Promotions Committee for Senior Lecturer to Associate Professor (1999).

Current Committee participation

UNSW

Chair

• Research Management Committee, Faculty of Science
• Faculty Promotions Committee, Associate Lecturer to Lecturer
• UNSW High Performance Computing Services Unit
• Centre for Marine Biofouling and Bio-Innovation Management Committee
• Centre for Materials Research in Energy Conversion Management Committee
• Faculty of Science International Strategies Committee

Member

• Faculty Executive Committee
• Faculty Standing Committee
• Higher Degree Committee, Faculty of Science
• Academic Board, Committee on Research
• Postgraduate Coursework Committee
• Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Centre for Gene Therapy Management Committee
• Biological Resources Advisory Committee
• Institute of Environmental Studies Advisory Committee
• UNSW International Strategies Committee

Convenor

• Faculty Research Seminar Program

School of Chemistry

Member and President Elect for 2007

University of New South Wales Chemical Society Council

Academic Supervisor of the Branch Coordinator, Royal Australian Chemical Institute, NSW Branch Office

External

Member

• NSW Branch Committee, RACI (Hon Secretary, 1991-1998)
• Organic Chemistry Group, RACI NSW Branch

Co-Chair

• ICHC21, 21^st International Congress for Heterocyclic Chemistry, July 2007

Director

• Chemistry Laboratory, Sydney Regional Combinatorial Research Facility (2002-)

Organising Secretary

• Annual Southern Highlands Conference on Heterocyclic Chemistry (1990-present)

Reader

• Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences Panel of the Australian Research Council

Other relevant administrative experience:

Since appointment as Associate Dean (Research & International) in the Faculty of Science, Roger Read has had significant roles in strategic planning for the Faculty, and then implementation of these plans:

• research and international development strategic planning;
• early planning of the UNSW Analytical Centre, a new instrumental facility that is presently under construction, and its associated Chemistry laboratory building;
• planning of academic programs and a research workshop associated with the establishment of a new university campus, UNSW Asia, in Singapore;
• a review of UNSW Advanced Science programs;
• early negotiations with the Dean of Science at the National University of Singapore over establishment of a student exchange program, called Science Without Borders, an innovative academic program designed for Advanced Science students to enhance their international awareness;
• institutional development missions in Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, India, France and Germany;
• establishment of Memoranda of Understanding with partner institutions, including a first in Taiwan.

He routinely manages bids for the Faculty Research Infrastructure Block Grant (RIBG) allocation and the Faculty Research Grants Program and Early Career Researcher Awards scheme.

He has also been called upon on numerous occasions to act on behalf of the Dean at official functions, and have served as unofficial Acting Dean on three occasions during his absence, including service on his behalf during recent Graduation Ceremonies.

In 2002 Roger Read was recruited as one of three international experts to evaluate a controversial research program at the National University of Singapore. Whilst at the University of New South Wales he has been an assessor for numerous ARC Large and internal and external ARC Small Grant applications, he has examined over 40 PhD and MSc theses from most leading Australian and New Zealand universities, and regularly referee scientific articles for leading international journals including Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic Letters, Tetrahedron Letters, Journal of Natural Products Chemistry, and the Australian Journal of Chemistry.