Associate Professor Stewart Walker

Associate Professor

College of Science and Engineering

+61 8 82012406

stewart.walker@flinders.edu.au

Physical Sciences (304)

GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Stewart Walker has worked on the design, development and application of advanced analytical techniques to solve problems in the analytical, environmental, industrial, forensic and medical arenas. He has worked or collaborated with Industrial Companies including BP Research in London, BHP, Melbourne, Universities including St Andrews and Glasgow in Scotland, La Trobe, James Cook, Curtin, UWA, UofSA, Adelaide and Flinders Universities in Australia and many international universities and with Government Agencies, including CSIRO, AIMS(Australian Institute of Marine Science), DSTO, Chemistry Centre WA and the CRC-Great Barrier Reef. He is a long-serving committee member and former President of the SA Branch of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and is currently President of the South Australian Branch of the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society. He is active in consultation and has assisted AFP, SafeworkSA and SA Police on cases and as an 'International Expert' for IAEA/UN Environmental Analysis Projects in Asia.

Qualifications

B.Sc.(Hons) Chemistry University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland 1985
Ph.D. Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland 1989
Graduate Business Qualification (1/3 MBA), Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia 2000

Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education) Flinders University 2016

Honours, awards and grants

Honours
Invited Keynote Presentation ANZSMS 24, Melbourne - 2013 and ANZSMS 23, Freemantle - 2011
Best Poster (Toxicology Section) 19^th Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society Symposium, Melbourne - 2008
Invited Keynote Presentation at ANZFSS 19, Melbourne - 2008
Invited Plenary Presentation at FIRMS Network Conference, Dunedin, NZ - 2007
Best Presentation (by a non-student) 9^th Australasian Environmental Isotope Conference and 2nd Australasian Hydrogeology Research Conference, Glenelg - 2006
Invited Keynote presentation at ANZFSS 18, Fremantle - 2006
RACI Physical Chemistry Conference - Prize for Best Poster (non-student) - 2002
Australian Coral Reef Society Prize for Best Presentation - 2001

Awards
Australian and New Zealanf Forensic Science Society - SA Branch Service Award 2014

National Institute for Forensic Science Award for Best Paper - Case Study - 2011, Best Paper in a Refereed Journal - 2 x 2004, 1 Highly commended 2004 and 2013

South Australian Unsung Hero - Science Communication 2011
Sandy Congdon Memorial Scholarship, Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society-SA Branch - 2010
Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Flinders University - 2004
Orkney/Hordaland Scholarship - 1985
University of St Andrews Vacation Scholarship - 1984
Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship - 1982
Frank Muir Prize for Humour - University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland - 1979

Grants
-2010

Key responsibilities

Director of the Centre of Expertise in Energetic Material (DSTO/Flinders)
Topic Coordination and Teaching in Analytical, Forensic and Environmental Chemistry
Representative on Faculty Board
Coordinator and presenter of the annual Flinders/RACI-SA 'Chemical Murder Mystery'

Teaching interests

All aspects of advanced analytical techniques - especially mass spectrometric, chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques
Applications of techniques to environmental, industrial, medical and forensic arenas
Developing innovative and involving teaching methods

Topic coordinator

FACH2702 Chemical Analysis of Physical Evidence

CPES7711 Use (and abuse) of Mass Spectrometry

CPES7721 Chemistry of Energetic Material

Topic lecturer

FACH3702 Drug Action, Metabolism, Toxicology and Analysis

CHEM3701 Applied Spectroscopy and Electrochemistry

FACH1701 Introduction to Forensic Science

FACH2702 Chemical Criminalistics

CPES7711 Use(and abuse) of Mass Spectrometry

CPES7721 Chemistry of Energetic Materials

CHEM1201 General Chemistry

Supervisory interests

Analytical chemistry

Analytical chemistry sampling, analysis and interpretation

Australia and New Zealand food regulation

Biogeochemistry

Chemistry

Environmental chemistry

Food and the environment

Forensic and analytical chemistry

Stable isotopes

Higher degree by research supervision

Current

Principal supervisor: Contamination of Buildings and People in Clandestine Amphetamine Laboratories (-1), Detection of chemicals from drug labs in wastewater (-1), Chemical and Spectrometric Analysis of Bruises (-1), Use of IRMS and ICPMS and other techniques for Improvised Explosive Material (1), Extending Surface Assisted LDI-MS for forensic investigations (1), Interaction of Dandicol in Polymer Bonded Explosives (1), Investigation into fluorescence of semen and fingerprint agents by Far-IR Synchrotron Beam (1)

Associate supervisor: Amphetamines and methamphetamine synthesis in cladestine laboratories (-1), Bacterial degradation of drugs in bodies (-1)

Completion

Principal supervisor: Pyrolysis of Peat (1), Steroid Detection by Surface Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (1), Differentiation of GHB by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry and Ion Chromatography (1), Electrochemical Analysis of Multiple Metals (1), The Stability of Selected Psychiatric Medications During Simulated Post-Mortem Decomposition (1), Nanoparticles for detection of cancer (-1), Use of IRMS and ICPMS and other techniques for Improvised Explosive Material (-1)

Higher degree by research student achievements

Danielle Butzbach

National Institute of Forensic Science - Highly Commended Paper in Best Paper in a Refereed Journal - DEC 2013

Broderick Matthews

National Institute of Forensic Science - Best Published Case Study 2011 - NOV 2012

Hayley Brown

National Institute of Forensic Science Prize for Best Paper in A Refereed Journal (Ammonium Nitrate) - NOV 2005

Hayley Brown

National Institute of Forensic Science Prize for Best Paper in A Refereed Journal (Amphetamines) - NOV 2005

Hazel Rivera

National Institute of Forensic Science - Highly Commended Paper in A Refereed Journal - NOV 2005

Danielle Butzbach

Finalist (Top 3) Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards for 2012/2013 Science and Technology - FEB 2013

Emma Partridge

Best Toxicology Paper Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society International Symposium - SEP 2008

Chad Prior

Bloom-Gutmann Medal - Best Electrochemical Student Presentation RACI Connect - JUL 2005

Professional engagement

Fellow of Royal Australian Chemical Institute (South Australian Branch) - long-serving committee member and President 2005-2007
Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society (South Australian Branch) - long-serving committee member and Past President.
Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry - Member - Convener of ANZSMS 20 - Glenelg 2005 and co-convener ANZSMS 26 Flinders 2017.

Expert for media contact

Chemistry

Environment

Forensic Science

Pollution

Analytical chemistry sampling, analysis and interpretation

Mass spectrometry

Pollution

forensic investigations

Available for contact via

+61 8 82012406

stewart.walker@flinders.edu.au