Staff, Students and Mentors

Learn more about the people involved in the Hub.

Governance and management

Governing Board & Science Steering Committee

The Governing Board provided strategic direction and the Science Steering Committee ensured that the research complements industry aims.

Prof Nigel Cook
The University of Adelaide

Hub Director

Dr Kathy Ehrig
BHP

Principal Geometallurgist

Mr Brett Triffett
OZ Minerals

Concentrate Treatment Plant Project Director

Dr Robert Gee
ANSTO Minerals and Radiation Services

General Manager

Ms Kiara-Bechta-Metti
The University of Adelaide

Director, Adelaide Enterprise
Management Team

The Management Team is responsible for project delivery and coordination.

Prof Nigel Cook
The University of Adelaide

Hub Director

Dr Ruth Shaw
The University of Adelaide

Hub Manager

Ms Louise Beazley
The University of Adelaide

Hub Administrator

Research Nodes

There were three areas of specialty (called Nodes) in our Hub. Each was led by a researcher with international recognition in their field.

Node leaders guided the work program of their team and developed strategies to grow opportunities for the Node. They also facilitated communication with the management team, the board and other Node leaders.

Node 1 Team: Understanding the minerals

Prof Joël Brugger
Monash University

Node 1 Leader
Uranium, rare earth elements, tellurium geochemistry

Dr Andrew Frierdich
Monash University

Node 1 Researcher
Metal mobility in mineral-aqueous systems

Dr Rahul Ram
Monash University

Node 1 Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Investigating the transport of Pb, Po in natural uranium minerals and associated gangue towards improving processing

Alok Chaudhari
Monash University

Node 1 PhD Student
Investigating radiation induced porosity

Prof Nigel Cook
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 Researcher (see also Governing Board and Management Team)
Suflide ore deposits, particularly mineral assemblages, chemistry and texture

A/Prof Yung Ngothai
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 Researcher
Metal sulfide chemistry, materials science and engineering

Dr Ben Grguric
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 Researcher
Geometallurgy. Ore deposit characterisation and research on ore genesis processes

Danielle Schmandt
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 PhD Student - Completed
Mineralogy and chemistry of IOCG ores

Mark Rollog
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 PhD Student - Completed
Polonium chemistry and nano-scale mineralogical analyses

Nicholas Owen
The University of Adelaide

Node 1 PhD Student
283U decay deportment with relation to mineralogy and geochemistry

Prof Allan Pring
Flinders University

Node 1 Researcher
Mineral formation by hydrothermal processes, neutron and x-ray diffraction

A/Prof Rachel Popelka-Filcoff
Flinders University

Node 1 Researcher
Uranium, radioanalytical techniques

Dr Jing Zhao
Flinders University

Node 1 Research Associate
The nature of porous minerals: characterization using neutron and nano-tomography techniques

Alex Altree-Williams
Flinders University

Node 1 Research Associate
Investigate permeability pathways such as porosity and grain boundaries

Dr Kathy Ehrig
BHP

Node 1 Industry Mentor
Understanding of the genesis of the Olympic Dam deposit
Node 2 Team: Analysing the rocks

Professor David Ottaway
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Leader
Optical sensing systems, solid state lasers

Professor Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Researcher
Nanocomposite glasses, fabrication techniques, surface functionalisation of glass

Adj Prof Nigel Spooner
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Researcher
Fibre optic and imaging for environmental dosimetry, natural radiation fields

Prof Nigel Cook
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Researcher (see also Governing Board, Management Team and Node 1 Team)
Suflide ore deposits, particularly mineral assemblages, chemistry and texture

Dr Ruth Shaw
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Postdoctoral Research Fellow (see also Management Team)
Characterization of doped glass for sensing natural radiation fields

Dr Chris Kalnins
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Radiation field detection and quantification in solid and liquid phase materials

Danielle Questiaux
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 Research Associate
Alpha particle track detection in Minerals, Image Analysis

Jarrah Mik
The University of Adelaide

Node 2 MPhil Student
Liquid radiation sensing with polymer fibres

A/Professor Tony Hooker
University of Adelaide

Node 2 Researcher
Radiation detection, gamma spectroscopy, alpha scintillation
Node 3 Team: Removing non-target metals

Prof Peter Hayes
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Leader
High temperature processing of minerals and materials

Dr James Vaughan
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Researcher
Leaching fundamentals, including ion exchange, adsorption and precipitation reactions

Dr Yongjun Peng
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Researcher
Froth floatation, solution chemistry, colloid/surface chemistry, electrochemistry

Dr Will Hawker
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Researcher
Aqueous processing of minerals and solution chemistry

Dr Weng Fu
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Postdoctoral Research Fellow
RN leaching, SX/IX and crystallisation processes

Toby Hamilton
The University of Queensland

Node 3 PhD Student
Separating non-target metals from copper concentrates using physical processing

Kelly Byrne
The University of Queensland

Node 3 Masters Student
Investigate the metathesis reaction on non-target metals

Prof Peter Ashman
The University of Adelaide

Node 3 Researcher
Gas-solid kinetics in high-temperature systems

Mr Brett Triffett
OZ Minerals

Node 3 Industry Mentor
Understanding of the genesis of the Carrapateena deposit

Ms Katie Hulmes
OZ Minerals

Node 3 Industry Mentor
Understanding of the genesis of the Carrapateena deposit

Radiation sensing capability

The Hub mineral processing and fundamental minerology research had to be supported by a cheap, fast, reliable analytical program. The Hub made the decision to bring as much as possible of this in-house to create a dedicated unit to deal with sample management and analysis.

Radiation sensing personnel

Mick Stuckings
University of Adelaide

Technical Analyst

Danielle Questiaux
University of Adelaide

Technical Analyst

Government involvement

The Hub complemented the Department for Energy and Mining's (DEM) Developing South Australia’s Copper Strategy.

Hub partner DEM committed $10 million over five years, through the Mining and Petroleum Services Centre of Excellence, as innovation seed funding toward next generation minerals processing and other strategically important capabilities – this is also in-line with the Hub’s work.

DEM has provided funding because the Hub's research is crucial to South Australia's Strategic Plan Priority of realising the benefits of the mining boom for all.

Government personnel

Dr Paul Heithersay
Department for Energy and Mining

Chief Executive

Mr Paul Goiak
Department for Innovation and Skills

Chief Digital and Data Officer