02/28/2023
: Professor Karen Wilson
Karen Wilson (Twitter handle: ) is a Professor of Catalysis at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology ( ) where she works on the development of heterogeneous catalysts for clean chemical synthesis. Specifically, she focuses on the design of tuneable porous materials for sustainable fuels and chemicals from renewable resources such as waste biomass. Professor Wilson is also an associate editor for the RSC Sustainable Energy & Fuels Journal and the founding Director of the āGlobal Bioenergy, Biofuels, and Biorefining Networkā.
Professor Wilson earned a B.A.(Hons) in Chemistry and a PhD in Heterogeneous Catalysis and Surface Science at the University of Cambridge with Professor Richard M. Lambert. Subsequently, she completed her post-doctoral research in the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York with Professor James H. Clark. Prior to RMIT, Professor Wilson was a Chair of Catalysis and Research Director of the European Bioenergy Research Institute at Aston University. In 2011, she was awarded a Royal Society Industry Fellowship for her work on catalysts in biofuel synthesis geared towards industrial applications. Additionally, she was an international advisor on both Solid Waste Management and the Green Economy (2015), and on Biofuels and Bioconversion (2010) for the German National Academy of Sciences. Recently, she co-authored an editorial issue in the ACS Green Chemistry Institute about Women in Green Chemistry and Engineering, promoting the need for equity, diversity, and women in leadership positions to ensure a sustainable future.
Experimenting with the utilisation of renewable resources in chemical processes is an integral part of Green and Sustainable Chemistry Research. With her notable contribution to Green Chemistry, we want to honour Professor Wilson for being an inspiring !
