Dr Hillary Smith, Dr Andrew Ault selected to undertake collaborative research projects in Wollongong
Two exceptional researchers will bring their wealth of knowledge and experience to the University of Wollongong (UOW) from the United States, as part of the renowned Fulbright Scholarship program in Australia.
Dr Hillary Smith, Associate Professor of Physics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and Dr Andrew Ault, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Michigan, will spend part of the coming year undertaking their research in Wollongong after being selected for the 2025 Fulbright Scholar Award funded by UOW.
Dr Ault and Dr Smith were officially welcomed to UOW last week (Thursday 27 February) by Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research and Sustainable Futures) Dr Paul Di Pietro during a gala dinner for the Fulbright Program at Parliament House in Canberra.
"Their valuable work will enrich our research community while also underscoring the strength of international collaboration in advancing knowledge and innovation. We look forward to the immense contributions they will make and the lasting connections they will forge during their time in Wollongong."
As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr Smith will investigate next-generation sodium-ion batteries to reduce carbon footprints and make more efficient use of renewable energy solutions.
Dr Hillary Smith with Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Australia's Governor-General.
Dr Smith, who has relocated to Wollongong with her family, will be based at Innovation Campus and will work alongside the team of Associate Professor Wei Kong Pang to establish an exchange of expertise in materials discovery and characterization.
Dr Smith runs the Smith Materials Lab at Swarthmore College where her team uses advanced characterization techniques such as Mossbauer spectroscopy, x-ray and neutron scattering to study battery materials under realistic operating conditions. She earned her PhD in Materials Science from the California Institute of Technology, and worked as a Senior Scientist at a battery start-up company before joining the faculty at Swarthmore College.
"I am excited to work with colleagues at UOW to advance alternative energy storage solutions. This issue is of huge global importance, and international cooperation of scientists presents an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and accelerate progress," Dr Smith said.
During his time in Australia, Dr Ault, whose research focuses on atmospheric aerosols and their impact on climate and human health, will split his time between Wollongong, Tasmania, and Melbourne.
Using advanced microspectroscopic techniques, Dr Ault will examine aerosols on the micro- and nano-scale. He will conduct research at Kennaook, the northwestern point of Tasmania, which has some of the cleanest air in the world.
"My Fulbright research aims to understand the sources of aerosols and how they change the atmosphere, altering cloud formation and properties, which is critical to understanding our climate," Dr Ault said.
Dr Andrew Ault with Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC.
As he studies aerosol-cloud interactions over the Southern Ocean, Dr Ault's work will form part of the 2024-2025 Cloud and Precipitation Event at Kennaook. Dr Ault will collaborate with UOW experts to improve understanding of the sources and evolution of atmospheric aerosols.
At the University of Michigan, Dr Ault runs the Ault Laboratory, an analytical and physical chemistry laboratory, which uses spectroscopic and microscopic approaches to study complex environmental systems, with a focus on atmospheric aerosols, as well as indoor surfaces and engineered nanoparticles. He gained his PhD from the University of California, San Diego.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship foreign exchange scholarship program of the United States of America, aimed at increasing binational research collaboration, cultural understanding, and the exchange of ideas.
The Australian-American Fulbright Commission promotes education and cultural exchange between Australia and the United States, with a scholarship program providing support for students and scholars to study and research in either country. More than 5000 scholarships have been awarded to Australian and American researchers.
