Professor Frances Separovic elected Foreign Secretary of the Australian Academy of Science

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Frances Separovic AO has been elected to the position of Foreign Secretary of the Australian Academy of Science, commencing in May 2022.

The Academy is Australia’s premier science organisation, and the Foreign Secretary is responsible for the Academy’s international relations.

As the deputy director of Bio21 Institute at the University, Professor Separovic has had a significant impact on the field of chemical engineering.

She was the first female chemistry professor at the University and the first woman to be head of the school of chemistry.

Professor Separovic was the first woman chemist elected to the Australian Academy of Science and is currently President of the US Biophysical Society.

She is an International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Distinguished Woman of Chemistry or Chemical Engineering and in 2018 was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Professor Separovic was honoured with the appointment as an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours List and is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Emeritus Professor of the University.