Professor Sandra Kentish recognised for real-world impact in green and sustainable chemistry

Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor Sandra Kentish, from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, has received the inaugural Royal Australian Chemical Insititute's Green and Sustainable Chemistry Division ‘Real World Impact Award’.

The award recognises individuals whose work translates research into tangible societal, environmental, educational and economic outcomes, creating impact beyond academia and helping address real-world sustainability challenges.

“I was truly honored to receive this award from the RACI, particularly in its inaugural year,” she said.

Throughout her career, Professor Kentish's research has delivered practical outcomes for industry and community, while advancing sustainable approaches to some of society's most pressing challenges.

Her research has led to patents focused on carbon dioxide capture, changes to natural gas standards that facilitated the use of biomethane in natural gas, and a patent currently under evaluation for a protective coating developed by her research group, to allow existing gas infrastructure to be safely reused for hydrogen.

Professor Kentish has been Chair of the Victorian Division of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (2022-26) and Head of FEIT’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (2017-2022) and Department of Chemical Engineering (2012-17). She was selected as one of Australia's Most Innovative Engineers by Engineers Australia in 2017 and as a Woman of Influence by the Australian Financial Review in 2018.

Her work has helped bridge the gap between research and practice, demonstrating how engineering research can create meaningful benefits beyond the laboratory. This inaugural award is a fitting recognition of the real-world impact of her contributions and commitment to putting research into practice.