Christian Turney

Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research, University of Technology Sydney
I am an experienced, positive, energetic and optimistic leader, scientist, entrepreneur and author. I have the privilege to be the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). I champion the value of research findings in decision-making and am passionate about universities supporting the rapid decarbonization of the global economy to reach net-zero carbon pollution. To help reach this goal, I was a Founding Director, Inventor and am now a Scientific Advisor to the New Zealand-based cleantech company CarbonScape (www.carbonscape.com) which has developed technology to covert plant material into locally-produced, sustainable, carbon-negative bioengineered graphite for lithium-ion batteries.

To cut through the noise surrounding 'Fake News' and 'Alternative Facts', it's so important universities share discoveries, their implications and opportunities for society. With Imagine Entertainment, iHeart Media, Awfully Nice, and an incredible lineup of inspirational guests, I am excited to be hosting a new podcast series called 'Unf**king the Future' which will explore the sobering climate reality our planet faces today and the common–sense solutions that can be implemented now to save it.

My research has generated over 240 research papers, a h-index of 68, and been cited in policies and patents around the world. I have received several major prizes and medals. In 2014, the Australian Academy of Science honoured me with the Frederick White Prize for the understanding of natural phenomena; in 2007, I was awarded the inaugural The Sir Nicholas Shackleton Medal for outstanding young scientist for pioneering research. I completed a prestigious Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Fellowship at the University of New South Wales (Sydney) in 2015. I am also a Non-Executive Director of Cicada, the Sydney-based incubator of deep tech innovation (www.cicadainnovations.com), and a Non-Executive Director of the NSW Government’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to help deliver a thriving and healthy environment for the beautiful state of New South Wales.