Professor Jamie Quinton

Academic Level D

College of Science and Engineering

place Physical Sciences (2104)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

After studying extended majors in undergraduate Physics and Mathematics across two institutions in global and third tier cities, Jamie obtained his doctorate from the University of Newcastle, Australia in 2001 working in the area of surface physics, studying environmentally benign organosilane coatings for corrosion protection of various metal oxide surfaces (aluminium, iron, chromium, zinc, steel). From 2000-2001 he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers University (NJ, USA) working with pioneering Professor Ted Madey, the State of New Jersey Professor of Surface Science, leading his group's synchrotron research (at Brookhaven National Laboratory). He then returned to Newcastle in 2002 to perform more research and present some lectures as a casual academic.

He joined in Flinders as a Lecturer in Nanotechnology/Physics/Chemical Physics in 2003, then progressed through the academic ranks all the way to Professor (in 2014). Throughout his career, Jamie has studied nanoscale surface and interface phenomena with a wide variety of materials, from metals through to polymers, ceramics, and even natural fibre products, with a strong focus on carbonaceous materials; and has applied them to a diverse range of applications from corrosion protection of steels and lightweight alloys, through to optically active aerospace materials, antimicrobial coatings for seagrass restoration, through to nuclear fusion reactor plasma-facing materials.
His passion remains in surface modification, optimising industrial processes and finding environmentally favourable alternative technologies. He is a Chartered Physicist but remains a curious and passionate, life-long learner who is pursuant of all aspects of knowledge in Science and Engineering, be it in teaching or research.
From 2022 he is taking on the role of Professor and Head of the School of Natural Sciences at Massey University in Aotearoa, New Zealand, though remains affiliated with Flinders with full academic status.

Qualifications

BSc(Hons) PhD FAIP MInstP CPhys CMatP

Honours, awards and grants
Key responsibilities
Teaching interests

I believe that students are best able to learn when I facilitate the placement of advanced concepts in context. I do this through providing contemporary examples inspired by frontier research, demonstrations, and exploration of conceptual relationships through innovative ICT learning tasks, which encourage self-directed learning. Context provides students with the ‘big picture,’ and achieves coherence. Moreover, it enables them to link new information with existing knowledge. These approaches also guarantee that I, as an educational designer, can evaluate if I have assisted students in achieving the educational objective of ‘understanding’ in preference to ‘memorising.’ This is paramount for graduates because 'understanding' is essential for enhancing their confidence, as well as competence.

Supervisory interests
Artificial intelligence and image processing
Carbonaceous materials
Corrosion protection
Cybersecurity
Experimental design and data analysis
Experimental techniques
Machine learning
Materials engineering/science
Nanotechnology
Science education
Smart materials
Solar cells
Structure-processing-property relationship of materials
Surface modification
Surface science, catalysis, corrosion
Higher degree by research supervision
Current
Associate supervisor: Dynamic Thin Film Mediated Control of Chemical Reactivity and Selectivity under External Electric Field (1), Process intensification in green chemistry processing (1), Electronic properties of pyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite minerals, Chemical Spectromicrscopic Analysis of mineral surfaces for acid mine drainage mitigation and management
Completion
Principal supervisor: Surfactant methods for Carbon Nanotube separation and sorting into types (1), Plasma Modification of Carbon Nanostructures (2), Corrosion Protection of Lightweight metals (1), Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for rapid elemental detection in forensic and energetic materials applications (1), Understanding self-assembly of coated aluminium powders for 3D printing (1), Strategies for developing scientific literacies in teaching (1)
Associate supervisor: Carbon Nanotube Based Surface Architectures for Molecular Electronics (1), Carbon Nanotube Production (1), Carbon Nanotube based Solar Cells (2), Chemical Characterisation of Australian Aboriginal Ochre Materials (1), Vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on silicon surfaces for molecular electrodes (1), Understanding bacteria-surface interactions for Enhanced Bioflotation minerals processing (1), Understanding electronic properties of pristine and surface modified graphene (1), Synthesis and characterisation of novel organic polymers for solar cells (1), Novel organic solar cell materials and architectures (2), Electronic properties of pyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite minerals (1)
Higher degree by research student achievements
Alisa Blee

University Medal - DEC 2008

Ashley Slattery

Vice Chancellor's Award for Doctoral Thesis Excellence - APR 2016

Caroline Watson

Poster Prize, 21st Royal Australian Chemical Institute Research and Development Conference - DEC 2013

Anders Barlow

Best Student Presentation - AMN4 (Otago, NZ) - FEB 2009

Ben Flavel

Alexander von Humbolt Research Fellowship (PostDoctoral) - APR 2011

Ashley Slattery

Flinders University Best Research Student Paper 2012 - DEC 2012

Daniel Tune

Flinders University Best Research Student Paper 2013 - DEC 2013

Ben Flavel

Best Poster Presentation, NanoE3 International Conference, Couran Cove, Australia - SEP 2007

Ben Flavel

Bloom-Gutmann Prize for Electrochemistry, RACI - DEC 2008

Ashley Slattery

2nd place best student oral presentation (ARNAM/ARCNN 2010 workshop) - DEC 2010

Ashley Slattery

University Medal - DEC 2009

Anders Barlow

University Medal - DEC 2006

Adam Blanch

University Medal - DEC 2006

John Debs

University Medal - DEC 2006

Joshua Makepeace

University Medal - DEC 2009

Joshua Makepeace

Rhodes Scholar to Oxford University - APR 2010

Natalya Schmerl

University Medal - DEC 2010

Lilian Ellis-Gibbings

University Medal - DEC 2010

Rhiannon Murrie

University Medal - DEC 2011

Paul Sibley

University Medal (December 2014) - DEC 2014

Jessica Penrose

University Medal (December 2020) - DEC 2020

Reece Waltrovitz

University Medal (December 2020) - DEC 2020

Expert for media contact
Nanotechnology
Physics
Surface science
3D Printing of Metals
Additive Manufacturing
Corrosion Protection
Physics
Science-Industry Engagement
Surface Modification
nanotechnology
plasma nanoscience
Available for contact via
Or contact the media team
+61 8 82012092
0427 398 713
Media expertise
  • Nanotechnology
  • Physics
  • Surface science
Interests
  • 3D Printing of Metals
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Corrosion Protection
  • Physics
  • Science-Industry Engagement
  • Surface Modification
  • nanotechnology
  • plasma nanoscience
Further information