Person
Finkel, Alan (1953 - )
AC FTSE FAA
- Born
- 17 January 1953
- Occupation
- Chief Scientist and Engineer
Summary
Alan Finkel was appointed Chief Scientist in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in January 2016. He has an extensive reputation as an entrepreneur, engineer, educator and philanthropist. As a post-doctoral Fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research he designed equipment to support research programs. Realising the commercial possibilities, in 1983 he founded Axon Instruments in California, to make precision scientific instruments used by researchers in the discovery of new medicines. After the company was sold Finkel returned to Australia in 2006 and became involved in a number of enterprises. These include the establishment of the Florey Neurosciences Institutes, educational programs for secondary school science and the training of neuroscientists, electric vehicle infrastructure, and the publication of the magazine Cosmos. He was Chancellor of Monash University from 2008 to 2015 and President of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering from 2013 to 2015.
Details
Chronology
- 1976
- Education - BEng (Hons), Monash University
- 1981
- Education - PhD, Monash University
- 1981 - 1982
- Career position - Research Fellow, John Curtis School of Medical Research, Australian National University
- 1983 - 2004
- Career position - Founder and CEO, Axon Instruments
- 1984 - 1987
- Career position - Consulting Assistant Professor of Surgery, Stanford University, California
- 2000 - 2003
- Career position - Adjunct Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland
- 2000 - 2003
- Career position - Member, Strategic Advisory Committee, John Curtin School of Medical Science, Australian National University
- 2004
- Career position - Founded Cosmos magazine
- 2004 - 2005
- Career position - Senior Vice-President and Chief Technical Officer, Molecular Devices Corporation (formerly Axon Instruments)
- 2005
- Career position - Member, Clunies Ross Foundation Board of Governors, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 2005
- Award - Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award for facilitating international neuroscience research, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
- 2005 - 2012
- Career position - Chair, Management Committee, Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN)
- 2006
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
- 2006
- Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - for service to biomedical science, particularly through the design and manufacture of a range of electronic instruments, and to support for medical research and education
- 2006 - 2007
- Career position - Chair, Amalgamation Committee, Florey Neurosciences Institutes
- 2007
- Career position - Board Member, Florey Neurosciences Institutes
- 2008 - 2015
- Career position - Chancellor, Monash University
- 2010 - 2015
- Career position - Chair, Australian Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics (CAASTRO)
- 2012 - 2013
- Career position - Foundation Chair, Steering Committee, 'Securing Australia's Future Project, Australian Council of Learned Academies
- 2012 - 2015
- Career position - Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Stile Education
- 2013 -
- Career position - Patron, Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (ACAN)
- 2013
- Career position - Patron, In2Science School mentoring program, Australian Science Media Centre
- 2013 - 2015
- Career position - President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE)
- 2014
- Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to science and engineering, and to tertiary education administration, as an advocate for the protection of children, and to philanthropy
- 2014
- Award - Honorary Bragg Member, Royal Institution of Australia
- 2015
- Award - Mountbatten Medal, Institution of Engineering and Technology
- 2016
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 2016
- Award - M A Sargent Medal, Electrical College, Institution of Engineers Australia
- 2016 - Dec 2020
- Career position - Chief Scientist, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
- 2018
- Award - Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal - Career Achievement Award in Engineering. Institution of Engineers Australia
- 2019
- Award - David Dewhurst Award for Biochemical Engineering Excellence, Institution of Engineers, Australia
- 2022
- Award - Companion of the Ordert of Australia (AC) for eminent service to science, to national energy innovation and research infrastructure capability, to climate change and COVID-19 response initiatives, and to science and engineering education
Related entries
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Kannegieter, Tim, 'Australia's top 100 most influential engineers [2015]', Engineers Australia: Civil Edition, 87 (5) (2015), 39-42, 44-69, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.964144482945092. 'Associations & NGOs: Finkel, Alan - Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering, p.50'. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4706618. Details
Resource Sections
- 'Dr Alan Simon Finkel AO, Companion of the Order of Australia', in It's an Honour, Australian Awards and Honours Secretariat, Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2022. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2009791. Details
See also
- Engineers Australia ed., Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders (Barton, A.C.T.: Institution of Engineers Australia, 2019), 136 pp. 'The Science of Engineering Leadership - Alan Finkel' p.107. Details
- Georg, Dietrich, 'Australia's most influential engineers: Top 100 [2009]', Engineers Australia, 81 (6) (2009), 30-64, https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.838744586377406. Details
Helen Cohn
Created: 12 December 2017, Last modified: 11 May 2022