Our people : Bill Skinner
Born in Tanga, Tanzania, my family moved to the UK soon afterwards.
We emigrated to Australia in 1968, based in Bendigo. We moved to Mt. Isa,
then Perth, where I went to Christ Church Grammar.
Physics and chemistry sucked me in immediately. Sitting in the dirt assembly area at Flora Hill Primary (Bendigo), watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on an old TV with dodgy vertical hold had a profound effect on me.
After physics at Melbourne University, I wanted to get more “hands on” as far as instrumentation was concerned. The RMIT had just begun a PhD program and I was encouraged to sign on and also do some part-time lecturing. I joined the Australian Antarctic Division as a Glaciologist in 1990. It was a fantastic experience. UniSA beckoned in 1992 at the South Australian Surface Technology Centre, which later formed part of the Ian Wark Research Institute (The Wark™), founded by Professor John Ralston.
Over 14 years at UniSA I have been involved in developing the application of advanced laboratory- and synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques in areas such as minerals and materials surface chemistry, environmental and forensic science. The nature of my experience has enabled me to form strong national and international links with organisations such as the University of Western Ontario, SA Forensic Science, SA Museum and the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation.
My activities have deeply involved me in the development of Australian synchrotron science, through membership of a national Beamline Advisory Panel at the Australian Synchrotron (AS), as chair of the AS research program committee for activity at the Taiwan synchrotron and locally as committee member of the South Australian Synchrotron Users’ Network. The Wark™ now has many routine synchrotron users, positioning ourselves well for the advent of the AS.
There are exciting times ahead, particularly with the new Australian Mineral Science Research Institute headquartered here at The Wark™. This is an unprecedented coup for The Wark™ and UniSA.
Outside of work I enjoy good food, Coopers beer and the live folk music scene. I even played in a pub band for a time when Irish was the flavour of the month. Wouldn’t mind getting back into it. Anyone looking for a chord-thrasher?
Bill Skinner is an Associate Research Professor and sector coordinator for materials and environmental surface science at the Ian Wark Research Institute.