Person

Foley, Catherine Patricia (Cathy) (1957 - )

AO PSM FTSE FAA

Born
10 October 1957
Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Chief Scientist, Physicist and Science administrator

Summary

Catherine Patricia Foley is a leading physicist with a research focus in superconducting sensors and nano-scale manufacturing. She joined the CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology in 1985 ultimately becoming Science Director and Deputy Director of the CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship in 2010, and Chief Scientist of CSIRO in 2018. Foley is active in professional organisations, serving in executive roles in several including the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies. She has also been appointed to a number of policy bodies. In 2007 she was co-recipient of the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for her work within the team that developed the mineral prospecting technology, LANDTEM. Foley was appointed Chief Scientist of Australia in January 2021.

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"Cathy Foley's research is in the field of solid-state physics and its applications, combining quantum physics, material science and research translation. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of semi-conductors and high-temperature superconductors and to the development of field-deployable superconducting devices that locate valuable mineral deposits by detecting minute magnetic fields ten million times weaker that the Earth's field. As the first dedicated Chief Scientist of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Foley has also made significant contributions to Australian science through her advisory roles in the areas of education, science and technology to Federal and state governments and to numerous research and teaching institutions. Foley is also President and executive member of several peak scientific bodies, and is an inspirational speaker and role model, inspiring the next generation to solve major global challenges." [from www.science.org.au/profile/cathy-foley 1/3/2022]

In 2021 Foley was awarded the CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement for her many achievements, including: her team's breakthrough work in 'SQUID'systems for mineral exploration, commercialised in LANDTEM technology; the development of a Quantum Technology Roadmap for Australia; and her strong advocacy for science.

Chronology

1984
Education - PhD in Physics, Macquarie University
1985 - 1991
Career position - National Research Fellow, CSIRO Division of Materials Science
1988 - 1993
Career position - Science correspondent, radio station ABC 2BL
1989 -
Career position - Honorary research Associate, School of Physics, University of Sydney
1991 - 1996
Career position - Senior Research Scientist, Division of Materials Science and Technology
1995 - 1996
Career position - Acting Project Leader, Superconducting Sensors and Technology Project, CSIRO
1996 - 2000
Career position - Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology
1996 - 2009
Career position - Project Leader, Superconducting Devices and Applications Project, CSIRO
1999 -
Award - Fellow, Institute of Physics, United Kingdom
2000 - 2008
Career position - Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science
2001 - 2004
Career position - Honorary Treasurer, Australian Institute of Physics
2003 -
Career position - Member of the Editorial Board, Conductor science and technology
2003
Award - Public Service Medal (PSM) - for outstanding public service for research in physics, as a communicator and promoter of science within the community, and as a role model for women in science
2003 - 2004
Career position - Stream Leader, Applied Quantum Systems, CSIRO
2005
Career position - Chair, 9th International Superconducting Electronics Conference, Sydney
2005 - 2006
Career position - Guest Editor, IEEE transactions in applied super conductivity
2005 - 2006
Career position - Vice-President, Australian Institute of Physics
2005 - 2007
Career position - Theme Leader, Nanoscale Manufacturing, CSIRO
2006 -
Career position - Member, National Committee for Physics, Australian Academy of Science
2007
Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement - LANDTEM
2007 - 2008
Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physics
2007 - 2010
Career position - Research Program Leader, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering
2007 - 2016
Career position - Member, Advisory Council, Questacon
2008 -
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
2008 -
Career position - Member, Council on Superconductivity, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
2008
Career position - Chair, 1st International NanoSQUID Symposium, Sydney
2008 - 2009
Career position - President-Elect, Federation of Australian Scientist and Technical Societies (FASTS)
2008 - 2010
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology
2009 - 2011
Career position - President, Federation of Australian Scientist and Technical Societies
2010
Career position - Deputy Chief Research, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering
2010
Career position - Co-Chair, 3rd International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sydney
2010 - 2014
Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Engineering
2011
Award - Mineral Industry Operating Technique Award (MIOTA) (team award), Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
2014
Award - Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions to Applied Superconductivity, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
2014
Award - Lloyd Rees Lecture, Australian Academy of Science
2014 - 2018
Career position - Science Director and Deputy Director, CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship
2015
Award - Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
2015
Award - Outstanding Services to Physics Award, Australian Institute of Physics
2016 - 2018
Career position - Chair, Policy Committee, Science and Technology Australia
August 2018 - December 2020
Career position - Chief Scientist, CSIRO
2019 - 2020
Career position - Board Member, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
2020 -
Award - Fellow (by special election), Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
2020
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - for distinguished service to research science, to the advancement of women in physics, and to professional scientific organisations
2020
Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics
2021
Award - CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation

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Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

  • McCarthy, Gavan; Morgan, Helen; Smith, Ailie; van den Bosch, Alan, Where are the Women in Australian Science?, Exhibition of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, First published 2003 with lists updated regulary edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, 2003, https://eoas.info/exhibitions/wisa/wisa.html. Details

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See also

Rebecca Rigby and Helen Cohn

Created: 24 February 2012, Last modified: 5 March 2024

EOAS ID: biogs/P004983b.htm

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