42nd IUPAC Council Meeting
Nominee for Vice President
Robert
G. Gilbert (Australia)
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Bob
Gilbert
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Prof. Robert (Bob) Gilbert’s research interests are in the areas
of chemical dynamics and in the fundamentals and applications of the
formation and properties of polymer colloids. He developed theories
to understand the pressure dependence of unimolecular reactions, including
models for collisional energy transfer and for microscopic rate coefficients
for barrierless reactions. His 1990 book on the theory of unimolecular
reactions is regarded as the definitive authority in that field. In
polymer colloids, his work includes the development of the means, using
appropriately designed experiments, of determining rate coefficients
for individual processes in these complex heterogeneous systems, and
then using these data to determine the dominant mechanisms. His book
on this topic, published in 1995, is regarded as a landmark. His research
has since broadened to look at polymer colloids in natural systems,
and to bridge the gap between chemical and chemical engineering sciences
in the manufacture of industrial products. He consults widely with multinational
industry.
Education and Career
Prof. Gilbert received his bachelor’s degree from the
University of Sydney and completed his Ph.D. at the Australian National
University, Canberra, in 1970. After two years of postdoctoral research
at MIT (Cambridge, MA, USA), he returned to the University of Sydney
where he holds a Personal Chair in Polymer Chemistry.
IUPAC Involvement
He has served IUPAC in many capacities, including creating
and leading a Working Party on polymerization kinetics. He was also
president of the Macromolecular Division (1998—2001), convener
of the IUPAC "New Directions" Summit in Singapore (1997),
a member of the IUPAC Strategy Development and Implementation Committee
in 1997, and co-chair of the IUPAC Scientific Congress in 2001. He was
elected a Bureau Member for the period 2002—2005. He is currently
serving on both the Evaluation Committee and the Membership Development
Committee.
Related Professional Accomplishments
He has supervised 50 Ph.D. and M.S. students and 25 postdoctoral
fellows. Gilbert serves on the editorial board of several major polymer
journals and is the author of two books, four patents, and 270 papers.
Awards
Gilbert received an Excellence in Teaching Award at the University
of Sydney in 1990. Other awards include both the Polymer and Physical
Chemistry Medals, and the Smith Medal, of the Royal Australian Chemical
Institute. In 1994, he was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy
of Science.
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