Emeritus Professor
Citation delivered by Senior Professor Gursel Alici, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the University of Wollongong on the occasion of the admission of William Evan Price as an Emeritus Professor of the University on 31 October 2023.
Deputy Chancellor, I present Professor William Price.
When Will Price joined the University of Wollongong as a Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry in 1989, so began an outstanding contribution to research, teaching and academic governance spanning 34 years and continuing in his retirement.
Will is a globally esteemed leader in physical, analytical, food, and materials chemistry. With an unwavering commitment to fundamental discoveries and their translational impact, he has played a key role in establishing the field of smart dynamic membranes. His work has also led to many innovations in membrane systems for application in the wastewater treatment and food sectors.
Working in and alongside industry, Will has forged sustained collaborations with leading industry partners including in the mining, food manufacturing and water sectors. Working in and alongside industry, Will has forged sustained collaborations with leading industry partners including in the mining, food manufacturing and water sectors.
Widely published in prestigious, high-impact journals, he has produced over 250 papers and has an H-index of 64. A mark of his standing, he served as a referee for many international journals and was appointed to the Australian Research Council College of Experts.
Will’s contribution to the University as an academic leader, while also maintaining a thriving research career, is extraordinary. He served in many key leadership roles including as the Head of the School of Chemistry, Dean of Science and Executive Director of the Australian Institute of Innovative Materials (AIIM), approaching each leadership role with integrity, collegiality and strategic insight.
Profoundly committed to nurturing the success of others, he has been instrumental in the development of many outstanding researchers, has supervised more than 30 Higher Degree Research students to completion, has championed student-centred learning and led the development and delivery of new subjects and courses.
Will has contributed significantly to the University’s research strategy, Academic Senate, University Research Council and countless other committees and initiatives. He strongly embraced and advocated for the UOW Reconciliation Action Plan and initiatives under the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Athena Swan program.
Will served on the Australian Council of Deans of Science and committees of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, leading and playing an active role in shaping science teaching and research policy.
He has won numerous awards and distinctions including an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship, a Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship, and the UOW Vice- Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research Partnership and Impact.
Deputy Chancellor, William Price has played, and will continue to play, a vital role in advancing academic leadership, research and education at UOW and beyond.
It is a privilege to present Professor William Price to be admitted as an Emeritus Professor of the University of Wollongong.