Palli Thordarson
About Palli
Background
Currently I am a Professor and the Deputy Head of School of Chemistry at UNSW.
- I am Fellow of the RACI, having joined the organisation during my PhD days at the University of
Sydney in 1998.
- I served as a NSW state representative on the board of the RACI Organic Chemistry Division from
2014-2018 and from 2019, the treasurer of the newly established RACI Supramolecular Chemistry
Group. I been involved in many RACI events, including organising the first supramolecular
symposia at a RACI Congress in Adelaide, 2014.
- As a Professor and now Deputy Head of School of Chemistry at UNSW I been actively involved in
the continuous development of our chemistry syllabus and our research program.
- I have a senior role in the ARC Training Centre for the Chemical Industries (ATCI) which involves
three Universities, a number of companies and Chemistry Australia (formerly PACIA). The ATCI
has developed a new Master of Industrial Research degree program which may become a
blueprint for others to follow in terms of offering industry-targeting chemistry degree programs.
- I served on the ARC College of Experts 2016-2019 and I have been an Editorial Board Member of
the Australian Journal of Chemistry since 2008.
RACI Direction as I see it
- The current public health crisis has led to some truly radical changes, including within the
Australian chemistry community. The shift to working from home, increasing push for sovereign
manufacturing of chemicals and other commodities and the increased emphasis on online
learning are immediate examples. I believe that as the President of the RACI I can draw on my
experience in academic management, industry collaboration and science communication to
ensure that the RACI can maximize how its resources can assist RACI members to respond to this
rapidly changing economic, political, scientific and educational landscape.
- The RACI inclusion and diversity policy is a prime example of how a society advances by well thought out policy changes. I believe that the RACI can lead the way for the benefit of the wider
chemistry community in Australia as a whole on many other fronts. If elected, I would prioritise
helping chemistry graduates “selling” the value of their degree’s and experiences more effectively
to potential employers by promoting the benefits of hiring chemistry graduates to employers in
the chemical and allied industries. Building on my experience in industry collaborations and the
development of a successful postgraduate program for students in industry, I believe RACI could
also help Universities and TAFEs to make their chemistry programs more industry relevant.
- Advocacy is, for better or worse, an increasingly important function of any professional society.
While historically RACI has stayed mostly clear of advocacy, I believe we cannot afford to do so
anymore. The best way forward is for the RACI to expanding its strategic partnerships with
organisations such as Chemistry Australia and like-minded overseas organisation including the
NZIC, RSC, ACS and IUPAC. We must also make chemistry more visible in the public eye, be it
through conventional or social media and I would be eager to see the RACI supporting our
members actively in achieving more visibility for Australian chemistry, promoting the invaluable
contributions that the chemical industry and our profession make to our society.
- The RACI could also play a larger role in assisting individual members, industry and educational
providers at all levels to understand how chemistry can grow and capitalise on the most recent
developments in biology, physics, medicine and data science. Drawing on my inter-disciplinary
experience in research, I am well-placed to champion the RACI collaborating with related
professional organisations, Chemistry Australia and other relevant organisations on common
goals.