September 24, 2025
The Royal Society of New South Wales was delighted to learn of the recognition of two of its Fellows in the recently announced list of new Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE), elected in October 2025.
They are the cutting-edge engineer and winner of the Society’s Walter Burfitt Prize in 2019, Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh FRSN FTSE of the University of Sydney, and distinguished researcher in computational reacting flows and winner of the Society’s Edgeworth David Medal in 2024, Professor Yansong Shen FRSN FTSE of UNSW Sydney.
The Council of the Royal Society of New South Wales extends its warmest congratulations to both Professor Kalantar-Zadeh and Professor Shen on this latest recognition of their outstanding research achievements.
The Academy citation for Professor Kalantar-Zadeh notes that he is a multidisciplinary engineer and entrepreneur known for transformative contributions with real-world impact, including ingestible sensors, liquid metals, and atomically thin materials. His groundbreaking innovations span several industries, including transparent conductive glass used in mobile phones with his colleagues, smart electronic windows for aircraft, and globally deployed hazardous gas sensors. He co-founded several companies, led his team to the development of the world’s first ingestible chemical sensors for medical diagnostics, and is also developing liquid metal-based greenhouse gas capture technologies.
Professor Kalantar-Zadeh’s work extends beyond the lab with outreach, public engagement and mentorship. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a Foreign Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. His achievements earned him the prestigious Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science in 2020 and a place in the 2019 LinkedIn Spotlight for Science and Engineering in Australia.
The Academy citation for Professor Yansong Shen describes him as a leading researcher in computational reacting flows and process metallurgy with an established record of industry partnership. For more than 25 years, he has specialised in low-cost green ironmaking, translating fundamental research into numerous technologies with industry benefits. His work has reshaped plant operations at some of the world’s largest steel producers and has facilitated the continued export of Australia’s iron ore and fuels. His dedication to advancing blast furnace modelling has revolutionised an area critical to global decarbonisation efforts.
Professor Shen has also pioneered highly efficient end-of-life solar panel recycling technology to recover valuable metals and materials, directing the ARC Research Hub for Photovoltaic Solar Panel Recycling and Sustainability. He currently serves as president of the Australasian Particle Technology Society and has received many honours and awards.
