Laura McKemmish

Laura McKemmish is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales (UNSW), specializing in computational chemistry at the intersection of quantum chemistry, astrochemistry, and molecular spectroscopy. She leads the SciX Discovery program, which supports high school students in authentic research, and serves as Director of Research-Integrated and Work-Integrated Learning in UNSW Science, focusing on inclusive education and curriculum innovation.

• Education: PhD in Theoretical Chemistry, Australian National University (2015).

Her research develops computational tools to model exoplanet atmospheres, molecular line lists, and quantum chemical calculations, with applications in astrophysics and terrestrial chemistry. She emphasizes scalable, sustainable models for embedding research and computational skills into education.

Article Trends: McKemmish’s recent work focuses on exoplanetary molecular spectroscopy (e.g., VO, TiO, ZrO), quantum basis set optimization, and high-throughput computational chemistry to address challenges in atmospheric and astrochemical data.

Scientific Awards:

• RACI Vicki Gardiner Advocacy Award (2024)
• RACI Chemical Education Citation (2024)
• NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2022)
• UNSW Arc Science Research Supervisor Awards (2022, 2024)
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship (2016–2018)

She has secured significant grants, including the Australian Government Maker Projects Grant for regional STEM outreach and a Google Educators Grant for data science teacher training. Her teaching integrates Python, computational methods, and generative AI across undergraduate and honors levels.