Simon Pyke

Professor Simon Pyke is a faculty member at the University of Adelaide since 1992, currently serving in the School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences under the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. His academic rank is Professor, with a transition to an 'Education Specialist' role in 2015 to focus on Learning & Teaching leadership. He has held roles such as Deputy Dean (Learning & Teaching) and Deputy Dean (International) before announcing his retirement in 2024, after which he will be conferred Emeritus Professor.

His research spans two core areas: Organic Chemistry (medicinal chemistry, bio-organic chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, natural products) and Science Education (curriculum design, student learning approaches, and educational leadership). He has been pivotal in national initiatives like the ASELL and SaMnet projects, fostering leadership and curriculum innovation across Australian universities.

Prof. Pyke’s work in education focuses on improving student learning outcomes through effective assessment design, laboratory experiences, and distributed leadership models. His contributions include developing tools for evaluating teaching practices and benchmarking academic performance in chemistry. He is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students as a co-supervisor.

His professional activities include leadership in educational networks and active participation in grant-funded projects related to science education. Labs and teams associated with his work include the ASELL consortium and the SaMnet leadership collective.