Monash University Science Faculty

The Monash University Science Faculty is one of the largest science faculties in Australia, with about 3, 500 students. It offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, from bachelor's degrees through to PhD level. Originally, it was based entirely at Monash's Clayton Campus, but since the 1990s it has extended to Gippsland and Malaysia. [ [http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/about/index.html About the Faculty of Science, Monash University ] ]

Associated with the Science Faculty are a number of student societies, including the Monash Science Society, the Biological Society, the Biomedical Society, the Monash Advanced Science and Science Scholars Society, the Monash Environmental Science Students Association, Monash University Geology Students, the Society of Physics and Mathematics and the Monash Weather and Climate Society. [ [http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/prosp/societies.html Student societies, Monash University Science ] ]

The Faculty has recently been strengthened by the opening of the Australian Synchrotron at the Clayton Campus, and the establishment of the Monash Centre for Synchtrotron Science, with which the Faculty is affiliated. The Faculty operates a number of other major research facilities such as the Monash University wind tunnel at Clayton Campus, the Monash Antibody Technology Facility and two observatories.

Structure

In its teaching capacity, the Monash University Science Faculty incorporates:

** School of Biological Sciences
** School of Chemistry
** School of Geosciences
** School of Mathematical Sciences
** School of Physics
** School of Applied Sciences and Engineering - Gippsland campus
** School of Arts and Sciences - Malaysia campus

School of Geosciences

About the School of Geosciences The School of Geosciences at Monash University is consistently ranked as one of the best earth science departments in Australia in national benchmarking. It has strong research and teaching programs in many disciplines of geology, geophysics and environmental geoscience, including: geodynamics and tectonics; three dimensional modeling, numerical modeling and simulation; volcanology, geochemistry, and igneous petrology; applied palaeontology and palaeobiology; basin studies, sedimentology and energy resources; ore deposit geology and geochemistry; geophysics; hydrogeology and environmental geoscience.

The School of Geosciences is a school in the Faculty of Science and is involved in several joint research and teaching initiatives with other Faculty Schools such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Environmental Science, and Engineering. The School also plays an integral role in the Monash Science Centre, a centre that aims to increase interest in science at primary and secondary school levels. The School of Geosciences is one of three stand alone earth sciences departments in Australia, and currently has amongst the highest undergraduate and postgraduate student numbers, making it a vibrant academic environment.

The School of Geosciences is a key member of the Victorian Institute of Earth and Planetary Sciences (VIEPS), which is a unique inter-institutional collaboration that provides a commprehensive Honours and Postgraduate level coursework program and the development of shared geoscience research analytical facilities. The School of Geosciences also contributes coursework modules to the Minerals Council of Australia national coursework program for Honours and Masters students, in collaboration with several other earth science departments in Australia.

The School has a very dynamic research program involving academic staff, postdoctoral research fellows, PhD, Masters and Honours research students. Research in the School is funded from national competitive grants and collaborative research grants from industry and government organizations. The School is part of the national Co-operative Research Centre for Predictive Mineral Discovery and the national AuScope crustal imaging and modeling networks, both Australian government research programs.

Current Head of School: Professor Ray A.F Cas, B.Sc.(Hons) Syd., Ph.D. Macq.

Reseach Centres

In research, it includes:

** Australian Centre for Biodiversity Analysis, Policy and Management
** Centre for Biospectroscopy
** Centre for Dynamical Meteorology and Oceanography (CDMO)
** Centre for Modelling of Stochastic Systems (a cross-faculty centre)
** Centre for Stellar and Planetary Astrophysics (CSPA)
** Centre for X-ray Physics and Imaging
** Water Studies Centre (WSC)
** Centre for Environmental Stress and Adaptation (CESAR)
** Centre for Green Chemistry
** Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science

A number of Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) are also based in the Science Faculty, including:

** CRC for Functional Communication Surfaces
** CRC for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2 CRC)
** CRC for Clean Power from Lignite
** [http://www.ewatercrc.com.au eWater Cooperative Research Centre]
** CRC for Predictive Mineral Deposits (pmd*CRC)

Other:
** Monash Science Centre

Notable Alumni

The Monash Faculty of Science has produced a number of notable graduates who are currently leaders in their field, including:

*Peter Carey - Booker prize-winning novelist
*Damian Conway - Computer scientist
*Hugh Evans - Young Australian of the Year and founder of the Oaktree Foundation
*Tim Flannery - Writer, scientist, Australian of the Year 2007
*Gail Gago - South Australian Minister for Enivornment, Conservation and Mental Health
*Lauren Hewitt - Australian athlete
*Geoff Hunt - World champion squash player
*Paul McNamee - Former tennis player and sports administrator
*Alan Ramadan - General Manager of Mobile and Devices, Macromedia
*Dato' Dr Jannie Tay - Managing Director, The Hour Glass
*John Thwaites - Former Deputy Premier of Victoria and Minister for Environment, Water and Climate Change
*Anna Wilson - World champion cyclist
*Greg Wilton - Politician
*Michael Wooldridge - Former Australian Minister for Health and Chairman of UNAIDS

References