Fontana Corrosion Center 477 Watts Hall 2041 College Rd. Columbus, OH 43210 phone: 614-688-4128 fax: 614-292-9857 cell: 614-432-2377 [email protected]May 11, 2011 HH Uhlig Award Committee NACE International Dear colleagues: It is with great pleasure that I nominate Prof. Nick Birbilis of Monash University for the H.H. Uhlig Educators Award of NACE International. Enclosed are his CV, the nomination form and several supporting letters from various people including NACE members, administrators at Monash and Nick’s students. As you may know, I was the former chair of the Uhlig Award selection committee, so I am qualified to state that this nomination package is much stronger than most Uhlig award nominations. It is certainly much stronger than mine was when I won the award! In any case, I’m sure that you will find Nick to be an outstanding candidate for the Uhlig Award. I first met Nick when he came to OSU as a post doc in 2004 as a fresh PhD graduate. Even then Nick had a preternatural understanding of what it takes to be a successful researcher and academic and the ability and drive to carry it out. He knows how to find the heart of a problem, do enough work to make a reasonable advance in the field, and quickly write a paper to clearly communicate the results. As a result, he already has a remarkable record of achievement at a very young age. According to ISI Web of Science, in May, 2011, he has 45 publications with an h index of 11. His m index, which is the h index divided by the years since PhD, is 1.6, which is extremely high. For example, someone of my age with that m index would require an h index of 41, which is well above the h index of anyone in the field, even the very senior people. This analysis indicates that Nick is poised to become one of the most frequently referenced authors in corrosion within a few years. Nick is also poised to become one of the leaders of the field within a few years. He is extremely active on the international scene, which is difficult for someone in Australia. However, he makes the effort to attend international conferences several times each year. He is active in a number of professional societies as a symposium organizer and committee member and is an editorial board member on several journals. Considering the three aspects used to evaluate professors, i.e. scholarship, teaching and service, Nick is doing extremely well on the first and third. However, the Uhlig Award is about teaching, so the rest of the letter will focus on Nick’s teaching record and abilities. Teaching involves both mentorship and classroom instruction. Nick has a huge research effort that is supporting a large number of students (14), postdocs (5) and undergraduates (5). Managing a group this size is a large task, but Nick seems to be up to it. He is also the only instructor for corrosion courses at Monash, where he teaches 2 corrosion courses as well as other materials courses. I know from listening to Nick give numerous presentations at FCC group meetings and at conferences that he is a talented lecturer. He always displays a depth of understanding along with a clarity of presentation.
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NOMINATION FORM FOR THE NACE HERBERT H. UHLIG AWARD
This award is given for outstanding effectiveness in post-secondary, corrosion education either at the undergraduate or graduate level as exhibited by young educators who excite their students through outstanding and innovative teaching in corrosion. A young educator may qualify who has effectively conveyed and instilled in students the principles and applications of corrosion science and technology and stimulated students to enter professional pursuits in defining and mitigating corrosion problems.
To qualify, nominations must be received within 10 years of the nominee entering the field of education. Nominations must include the endorsement of three (3) NACE members closely associated with the nominee's activities, three (3) students who have been supervised by the nominee or enrolled in his/her course(s), and a senior academic administrator at the nominee's institution.
No posthumous nominations will be accepted. A nominee must be a NACE member in good standing.
Date submitted: May 11, 2011
Deadline: June 30
Full name of nominee: Nick Given Name
Birbilis Family Name
Present address of nominee: Company: Monash University Street Address: Wellington Road City Clayton State Victoria Postal Code/Zip 3800 Country Australia Telephone +61 3 99054919 Fax +61 3 99054940 E-Mail: [email protected]
Date Entered Field of Education: 2006
Title: Associate Professor
Nomination submitted by: Gerald S. Frankel Company: The Ohio State University Street Address: 2041 College Rd. City Columbus State OH Postal Code/Zip 43210 Country USA Telephone 614-688-4128 Fax 614-688-4128 E-Mail: [email protected]
Nominated by: (check one by double clicking on box, then click on ‘default value checked’)
Any Three NACE Members/ Section/Region Board/ Self/ Past H.H. Uhlig Recipient/ Senior Academic Administrator at Nominee’s Institution / NACE Awards Committee by Consensus of the Subcommittee
Nomination submitted on behalf of (name, member#): Gerald S. Frankel,
Citation for award (25 words or less to be used for publicity purposes should the nominee be selected).
For extraordinary accomplishments in mentoring and educating students in corrosion and corrosion science.
Attach nominee’s biographical data or professional resume.
Return form to: [email protected] NACE INTERNATIONAL Awards Committee Staff Liaison 1440 South Creek Dr. Houston, TX 77084-4906
Please summarize the nominee's qualifications briefly as indicated below. Attach additional sheets as necessary. A supplementary resume or curriculum vitae may be included as well, if desired.
1. Nominee: Nick Birbilis
2. Academic Teaching Experience: Institution(s) and number of years at each.
Monash University, 2006 - present
3. Teaching Accomplishments: May include innovative teaching methods and subjects, community
services which foster educational contacts, student involvements, teaching awards, and other recognitions.
Nick completed a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (part time education for 2 years) making him a qualified teacher (in Higher Education). This relates to undergraduate teaching. Nick has also completed both the Level 1 and Level 2 supervisor accreditation courses (certificates) - making him an accredited (and legal) research supervisor at the maximum attainable accreditation in Australia
Nick has also been proactive in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities scheme within the Faculty, and considers the teaching role to extend beyond the class room and also capture aspects of nurturing and transferring of knowledge towards his undergraduate students in a research setting.
Designed from scratch final year undergraduate advanced corrosion course
4. Other Experience: May include industrial, governmental, and other professional contacts which foster
educational development. Briefly relate these to the nominee's teaching effectiveness.
Nick is involved in the educational activities of the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA). He was a founder of the ACA Young Corrosion Professionals group; he instigated Victorian Branch events such as the student’s night, careers night and has organized the Brian Cherry student research forum since its inception. Nick is presently serving as the ACA Victorian Branch President.
Nick is involved in NACE, and has been involved in the Research Committee, and been Chair of the Student Poster Session and Research in Progress Symposium where student participation and research are key aspects.
5. Graduate Experience, if any: Give a brief overview of graduate research contributions to student
education.
Nick presently leads a group of 29 personnel - one of the largest 'single academic' corrosion groups in world
Nick has grown and maintains a world class lab for approaching 5 years now, making techniques such as OP, AFM, SEM, micro/nanocell, advanced corrosion models, etc, available to many students, researchers, overseas students, visiting scholars, and collaborators.
Nick trained postdoctoral fellows. In all, he has advised/hosted a total of 49 research projects.
NOTE: Save document to your desktop, complete the form and submit to Awards Committee Liaison at address below
6. Three (3) NACE Members closely associated with the nominee's activities. (Please attach letters of
endorsement):
Name: Gerald S. Frankel
Company: The Ohio State University Street Address: 2041 College Rd. City Columbus State OH Postal Code/Zip 43210 Country USA Telephone 614-688-4128 Fax 614-292-9857 E-Mail: [email protected]
Name: Rudolph G. Buchheit Company: The Ohio State University Street Address: 2041 College Rd. City Columbus State OH Postal Code/Zip 43210 Country USA Telephone 614-292-6085 Fax 614-292-9857 E-Mail: [email protected]
Name: Mary Cavanaugh Company: Cabot Microelectronics Corporation Street Address: 870 N. Commons Dr. City Aurora State IL Postal Code/Zip Country 60504 Telephone Fax E-Mail:
7. Three (3) Students who have been supervised by the nominee or enrolled in his/her course.
(Please attach letters of endorsement)
Name: Rajkumar Gopiraj Street Address: Level 45, 80 Collins Street City Melbourne State Victoria Postal Code/Zip 3000 Country Australia Telephone +61 3 9653 1234 Fax +61 3 9654 7093 E-Mail: [email protected]
Name: Aaron Sudholz Street Address: 506 Lorimer St City Fishermans Bend State Victoria Postal Code/Zip 3207 Country Australia Telephone Fax E-Mail: [email protected]
Name: Sebastian Thomas Street Address: Monash Univ. City Clayton State Victoria Postal Code/Zip 3800 Country Australia Telephone Fax
8. Senior academic administrator at the nominee's institution. (Please attach letter of endorsement):
Name: George P. Simon
Institution: Head, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University Street Address Building 19, Monash University: City Clayton State Victoria Postal Code/Zip 3800 Country Australia Telephone +61 3 9905 4936 Fax +61 3 9905 4934 E-Mail: [email protected]
Support Letter for Associate Professor Nick Birbilis
For the HH Uhlig Award
Professor George P Simon
Head, Department of Materials Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
I am writing this letter in support of Associate Professor Nick Birbilis’s nomination for the HH Uhlig Award. I
can verify that Prof Birbilis fits very well into the profile of research excellence and inspiration to students,
undergraduate and postgraduate, in the area of corrosion, that this award addresses. Indeed, it his infectious
enthusiasm and strong qualities of mentorship that have enabled him to rise rapidly to the level of Associate
Professor (in Australia, Nick is quite young to have reached this level), and such decisions are only made
against a background of high level, sustained activity in all areas of research, teaching and service.
His research quality is made clear by the high ranking of his publications, his presence on Editorial Boards
and the fact that he obtained a high prestigious ARC Australian Research Fellowship, provided by the
Australian Government to applicants of high merit. Further to this, he was one of the prime movers in a
significant 10 yearly research centre in pipelines that commenced last year, a significant portion of the
funding which will come to Monash to support his program (ca $500k/year). He has also been responsible for
obtaining significant funds from our Federal Government to by tools of use to the research such as a FIB and
an optical profiler amongst them. He has a broad range of “extracurricular” activities in the area of corrosion,
and indeed is currently the president of the local chapter of the Australian corrosion society. It is clear,
through all these activities and others, that he is fully engaged at all levels with corrosion research and
industrial interaction.
Nick primarily teaches in corrosion-based subjects and consistently rates as one of our best teachers,
gaining high scores in the online ranking given by the students. Indeed, not only is he one of the
Departments best teachers, but he ranks highly - certainly in the top 10% - of the approx. 100 Monash
University Engineering academics. As well gaining good ratings for his undergraduate coursework teaching,
students “vote with their feet” when doing their Final Year project in 4th
year. His projects are amongst the
most sought after, and he thus he often obtains the best students (the students get their project of choice,
depending on their previous years marks). These 4th
year students enjoy their time in Nick’s group because of its excellent facilities and quality postgraduate and Research Fellows who work there. And make no
mistake; Nick’s postgraduate group is large, clearly based on the effort that he makes with students and the
connection – both technical and personal – that results. An easygoing, friendly nature, along with a
commitment to rigor and excellence in his experimental and modelling-based research means that he can
connect with them at a number of levels. His students are also given the possibility to travel to broaden their
horizons and have their work critiqued, made possible by the excellent supporting grants that Nick has been
able to attract.
Professor George P. Simon
Head
Department of Materials Engineering Monash University
Building 19, Monash University, Victoria 3800 Australia
I have known Associate Professor Birbilis since the late 1990s when I taught him during his undergraduate studies at Monash University. More recently I have come to know him as a colleague in the Department of Materials Engineering and in my role as Associate Dean (Research Training) in the Faculty of Engineering, in which capacity I am responsible for some 500 postgraduate research students. I feel I am able to comment on his interaction with both undergraduate and research students.
Nick is an innovative educator who adopts a practical action‐oriented approach to his undergraduate teaching which is reflected in the high student unit evaluation scores he routinely receives. Nick pays close attention to detail, and strives to present what could in some hands be rather dry material in an engaging manner. He is able to relate theory to practical application, and with inexhaustible patience unfailingly goes the extra mile to help students. Nick also assists students in finding work placements or jobs on graduation in corrosion‐ related fields.
In the relatively short time that Nick has been a full‐time academic he has built up one of the largest research groups in the Department, which in itself is a testament to the enthusiasm with which he engages in the task of supervising young researchers. Nick’s group is also one of the happiest I know, which is not to be underestimated. In formal and informal settings Nick is by turns role model, mentor, coach, teacher, and colleague to the students under his supervision. His students graduate as well‐rounded researchers.
In summary, I cannot recommend Nick highly enough for the H.H. Uhlig Award.
Yours faithfully,
Professor Chris H.J. Davies Associate Dean, Research Training Faculty of Engineering Postal – Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia Building 72, Clayton campus, Wellington Road, Clayton Telephone +61 3 9905 4929 Email [email protected] www.monash.edu.au CRICOS provider number 00008C ABN 12 377 614 012
Nomination of Professor Nick Birbilis for the 2011 H.G. Uhlig Award
It is a privilege to write an endorsement to support the nomination of Dr. Nick Birbilis for the H.H. Uhlig
Award for outstanding effectiveness in postsecondary corrosion education.
I have known Dr. Birbilis since 2004 when he worked as a postdoctoral researcher within the Fontana
Corrosion Center at The Ohio State University, at which I was studying for a graduate degree at the time.
During his time within the FCC, Nick operated as one of the most proficient post-docs I have ever
observed, not only producing a large quantity of high calibre work, but also taking a number of graduate
students under his wings by conveying laboratory and experimental know-how that has benefitted a wide
number of students and no doubt still percolates through the FCC today. His friendly approach and “can-
do” attitude has served as a model of what a successful post-doc should be – a model that I have tried to
emulate.
Since his time at OSU, Nick has become an Associate Professor at Monash University, and I have had the
opportunity to work with him again, this time as a postdoctoral fellow. During the past 2.5 years I have observed first hand how Nick has expanded and built a corrosion lab from nearly nothing. His research
group has grown from 2-3 students and one post-doc to more than 10 students and four post-docs in the past two years. The growth in personnel and capability in itself is rather remarkable, but it is even more
remarkable given that Nick never shows the slightest hint fatigue or stress, always has a positive attitude, and maintains an open door policy for students if they need assistance. This growth is directly related to
the excitement that Nick conveys to students about corrosion in combination with high quality projects,
which he directs. He consistently has some of the most popular and sought after 4th
year projects within the department, often leading students to follow a path of further corrosion study under his supervision at
the Graduate level. Nick’s approach and enthusiasm permeate throughout his group, creating a work environment that allows his students to enjoy their work while also giving them an opportunity for
independent thought and development. Through Nick’s dedicated efforts as an advisor and mentor, I expect a steady flow of well-rounded and conscientious corrosion engineers will emerge from Monash
University in future.
Professor Birbilis has been one of the most important professional influences on my career and
development as a scientist. It has been a great pleasure to work with and be mentored by him, and I
It gives me great pleasure to write a letter supporting the nomination of Dr. Nick Birbilis for
the H.H. Uhlig Award. Nick epitomizes the definition of this award and there is no one more
deserving. Over the past seven years, I have had the privilege to work closely with Nick when
he was a post-doctoral researcher at The Ohio State University and to observe him as a
lecturer and advisor at Monash University. In this time, he has established himself as an expert
in the field, producing countless papers (many of very high impact), becoming heavily
involved and, in the process, well-respected in many corrosion/electrochemical organizations
(namely NACE, chairing the student poster session and RIP Symposium), and growing a
productive research group of many students and post-docs.
I know firsthand that Nick’s enthusiasm for the study of corrosion captivates students and
draws them into the field. At Ohio State, Nick was viewed as an authority on many
experimental techniques and assisted numerous students in the lab or with poignant insights
on their projects. It was clear that Nick was exceptionally suited for education and mentorship.
At Monash, Nick has the ability to maintain a friendly rapport with his students while still
being able to motivate them to produce meaningful work. During lectures, he not only
communicates the material effectively but engages the students with his passion for the subject
and good sense of humor.
Nick is a young educator by age, but this is certainly not reflected in both his great depth of
knowledge and his aptitude for successfully conveying to students (or anyone else for that
matter) fundamental and complex corrosion principles. To this day, Nick is the first (and quite
often, the only) person I consult for difficult corrosion/electrochemical questions, because of
his profound understanding of corrosion and his natural ability to effectively and courteously
explain the problem. Nick inspired me to join the corrosion field, and I can truthfully say that I
would not be where I am today without him. A letter could not even begin to describe the
impact Nick has had on my corrosion education and career or the influence he most certainly
will have on future students who are fortunate enough to work with him. Nick is undoubtedly
worthy of this award, and I whole-heartedly endorse his nomination.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Cavanaugh
Research Scientist
Cabot Microelectronics Corporation
870 N. Commons Dr.
Aurora, IL 60504
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Rudolph G. Buchheit
Professor and Chair 177 Watts Hall
2041 College Rd. Columbus, OH 43210 phone: 614-292-6085
fax: 614-292-9857
May 11, 2011
Professor Gerald S. Frankel
Fontana Corrosion Center
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
477 Watts Hall, 2041 College Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Re: Uhilig Award nomination for Dr. Nikitas Birbilis
Dear Jerry:
I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to what I am sure is a compelling nomination package for Professor
Nick Birbilis. I know Nick and his endeavors extremely well. I have also reviewed his nomination
application and can say without reservation that he greatly exceeds all standards for this award.
In the interests of full disclosure, Nick served as a post-doctoral researcher in my group at Ohio State
from 2004 through 2006. During his time at Ohio State, he was particularly effective as a researcher and
as a mentor to students in the group. It was apparent to me early on that he was extremely motivated, very
positive force in the group who was stepping off to a stellar career. Indeed that has been the case. Over
the past several years we have published extensively together and continue work and publish on subjects
of mutual interest. Most recently he co-hosted my research leave in Australia at Monash University and
his facilitation led to an enriching experience for me.
Because I know Nick well, I have watched closely his very impressive development as a researcher and
educator. In a very short number of years, he has become an internationally recognized figure in the
corrosion science and engineering community. By all standard measures he is an excellent scientist,
teacher and a dedicated steward to the research and educational communities in which he works. Beyond
this, he has brought great credit to Monash as an institution by creating a vibrant, well funded and well
outfitted research group that is focused in important issues in the field. He has forged important
relationships within the university, with industry and labs in Australia and within the broader international
community. His success is a direct result of his unique blend of intellect, engaging personal style and
strong desire to create meaningful and lasting impact through his research and teaching.
Nick’s scholarship has been extraordinary as you have appropriately noted in your nomination. His work
is focused on both fundamental and applied aspects of corrosion of engineering alloys with notable efforts
on other areas that he appropriately refers to as electrochemical materials.
It is no surprise to me that Dr. Birbilis has proven to be effective in organizing significant sponsorship for
his research operations and his research facilities. His current level of research support is off the chart
high in any system that I am aware of. He is overflowing with ideas that are relevant to current needs, but
also forward looking and inspirational. Combined with his ability to finish and deliver, he is a dependable
investigator and a worthy target of continued research funding. His research group is large and productive and his ability to attract the best and the brightest will only continue to grow. I fully expect him to
continue to be an effective fundraiser for his research portfolio, and he should eventually be capable of
leading large center-level activities.
I have had the pleasure of attending a few of Nick’s lectures while I was at Monash last year. He has the
ability to form a solid connection with a group of students and use that to deliver solid science and
engineering content. I have no doubt that the learning outcomes he sets for his student are exceeded. I
have also had the opportunity to see student comments on his teaching. Both structured numerical
assessments and the unstructured comments are very positive, which support my in-class observations
that he is able to connect with the students in a way that sparks their interest and enables their learning. I
am very impressed with the range of courses he is involved with and am amazed at the quantity of
teaching he manages in view of his significant research responsibilities.
Nick is a committed steward to the professional communities of which he is a part. He is involved in a
number of professional organizations, most notably NACE, but also the ACA, ISE and ECS. He serves on
a number of editorial boards, which is a testament to the credibility he has earned among his international
peers. His involvement reflects very favorably on his home department and the university and has
attracted a number of distinguished international visitors over the past several years. In the area of
corrosion and protection he has been able to make Monash one of the “must-see” destinations around the
world.
In conclusion, I believe that Dr. Birbilis’ accomplishments make him a very strong candidate for the
Uhlig Award. He is an enormously talented individual and an outstanding scientist and colleague. The
excellence with which he conducts his professional endeavors is obvious to many and he is viewed as a
rising star in the field. For these reasons, it is most appropriate and perhaps even prudent that Dr. Birbilis
Intern / research students (Sharma, Meyer, Hego, Harant, Lespagnol, Skublova, Brunner,
Thiriat)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
• President of the Australasian Corrosion Association (Victoria Branch) 2010 -
• Scientific Advisory Committee, Symposium on Aluminium Surface Science and Technology;
Sorrento, Italy, 2012
• NACE Scholarships, Review Panel 2011
• Symposium Chair 'Critical Factors in Localized Corrosion’. The Electrochemical Society (USA),
Boston, USA. 2011.
• Chair of Research in Progress Symposium (NACE, USA), Houston, USA. 2011
• Member of Research Committee (NACE, USA). 2007 -
• Australian Research Council (ARC) Grant Assessment (Various Schemes inlcuding DP and Future
Fellowships) 2009-
• Natural Science and Engineering research Council of Canada (NSERC) Grant Assessment (Various
Schemes) 2010-
• Research Council of Norway Grant Assessment (Various Schemes) 2011-
• Guest Editor for special edition of Electrochimica Acta on 'Corrosion Science and Technology', 2010
• NACE Seed Grants, Review Panel 2010.
• NACE Campbell Award Review Panel 2010.
• Vice-President for the Australasian Corrosion Association (Victoria Branch) 2008 -2010
• Vice-Chair of Research in Progress Symposium (NACE, USA), San Antonio, 2010
• Publicity Committee Chair, Dept. of Materials Engineering, Monash University 2009-
• Engineering Faculty Board Member, Monash University 2009-
• Symposium chair, ‘Corrosion Science and Technology’. Annual Meeting of the International Society
of Electrochemistry, Beijing, China. 2009.
• Chair of Student Poster Session (NACE, USA), Atlanta, 2009
• NACE Seed Grants, Review Panel 2008.
• Organizing Committee for 16th
International Federation of Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering
Conference, Brisbane, Australia 2007.
• Events Organizing Committee, Institute of Materials Engineers Australia (IMEA). 2008 • Vice-Chair of Student Poster Session (NACE, USA), New Orleans, 2008.
• Council Member for Institute of Materials Engineering Australia (IMEA), 2008.
• Founding Member of Australasian Corrosion Association Young Corrosion Professional Committee.
2006.
• Ex-President of Materials Engineering Student Society (Monash University) - 2000.
RESEARCH PROJECTS / FUNDING (Since arriving at Monash):
Amounts in AUD. $1 AUD = $1.02USD.
ARC is Australian Research Council (Equivalent to NSF in the USA)
k = thousand, M = million
2007 ARC LIEF, Ion Beam nanofabrication and characterisation facility for advanced materials