Simon Ringer

Professor Simon Ringer is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Infrastructure) at The University of Sydney and a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering. He is also an academic member of the Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis and a member of The Net Zero Institute. With an international career spanning Sweden, Japan, the USA, and Australia, Professor Ringer has established himself as a leading researcher in atomic-scale materials design.

His research focuses on how atomic clusters create materials with remarkable properties for applications in semiconductors, photovoltaics, catalysis, and lightweight metal alloys. Professor Ringer's work particularly addresses 'property conflicts' in materials engineering, such as balancing strength and ductility or superconductivity and magnetism. His research group has achieved significant breakthroughs in atomic-level characterization, advanced steels development, computer memory technologies, and nanoelectronics, with publications in high-impact journals including Nature Materials, Physical Review Letters, and Advanced Materials.

Professor Ringer leads the University's Core Research Facilities program, overseeing strategic planning and implementation of high-end research infrastructure initiatives. His leadership extends to national research infrastructure strategy engagement, positioning the University of Sydney as a leader in Australia's research facilities landscape. Current research projects in his group focus on atomic-scale materials design, functionalized photovoltaic surfaces, additive manufacturing, and new frontiers in microscopy techniques.

Professor Ringer has published over 100 papers, authored two significant books (Atomic-Scale Analytical Tomography in 2022 and Atom Probe Microscopy in 2012), and holds patents in steel and nanomaterial design. His research has practical implications for reducing CO2 emissions through lightweighting technologies and advancing computer memory capacity.

He currently supervises several research students including Kirk CHEN, Jeffrey LU, and Samia RAZZAQ, and actively recruits for Honours, Master's, PhD, and postdoctoral positions. Former team members have gone on to work at prestigious institutions worldwide including Texas A&M University, University of Oxford, Max Planck Institute, and various multinational corporations.

Professor Ringer's research team utilizes advanced tools including atom probe microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, density functional theory, and computational modeling techniques to gain insights into materials behavior at the atomic scale. His qualifications include BAppSc from Uni SA, PhD from UNSW, and numerous professional designations including CMatP, FIEAust CPEng APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus), FRSN, and FTSE.