Cathy Foley will talk about her story of becoming an applied physicist starting with her research at Macquarie University in indium nitride thin films. She will then talk about her work at CSIRO in magnetics and superconductivity and the development of fundamental science that she has developed and commercialized.
She will finish of with some discussion on what it is to be a scientist and engineer and talk about some of the exciting opportunities and experiences she has had by being part of the national and international science and engineering profession.
Cathy Foley is graduate from Macquarie University where she did her BSc (Hons) Dip Ed PhD. She has been working at CSIRO for the last 22 plus years. She is the Research Program Leader for the Materials Physics, Instrumentation and Engineering Research Program of CSIRO. She is responsible for about 100 people. Cathy has worked in solid state physics and its application. Areas of research include: semiconductors, magnetics and superconductors. She was awarded a Public Service Medal and the Eureka Prize for the promotion of science both in 2003. She is the 2007-2008 USA IEEE Distinguished Lecturer. In 2007 she and her team won the CSIRO Medal for Research Excellence for the Superconducting system for mineral exploration. She has been involved in promotion of science and women in science over her whole career and is currently the Australian Institute of Physics President.