Rate My Professor Dawei Su

Professor Dawei Su is a full professor in Applied Chemistry & Environmental Science at the School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University. He serves as an ARC Future Fellow (Level 3) and ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellow. His research specializes in advanced energy storage, conversion, and catalytic hydrogen evolution, integrating materials science, physics, chemistry, and nanotechnology. This includes experimental synthesis, characterisation, quantitative analysis, and theoretical investigations at atomic and electronic scales using quantum chemistry, density functional theory, and Ab Initio molecular dynamics. Su leads major funded programs, such as lithium-sulphur batteries (ARENA 2016), sodium batteries (ARC DECRA 2017, DP 2017), lithium-ion batteries (RailCRC 2018, ARC LP), sodium-sulphur batteries (ARC DP 2024), photo/electrochemical water splitting (ARENA 2024), and moisture electric generator (ARC DP 2023). He has attracted over $15 million in competitive funding from ARC DECRA, DP, LP, LIFE, ARENA, and CRC sources. With over 170 publications, including more than 90 as first or corresponding author in prestigious journals like Science Advances and Advanced Materials, his work has garnered more than 19,500 citations and an h-index of 71, placing him in the top 1% of citation metrics in materials science for his career stage. Recognized as an internationally leading researcher, he was nominated as a ‘Rising Star and Leader of the Future in Materials Engineering’ by The Australian in 2021 and named among the ‘Best Rising Stars of Science in Australia 2022 and 2023’ (Materials Science) by Research.com.

Prior to RMIT, Su was at the University of Technology Sydney, where he received the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences Teaching & Learning Award in 2024 for bridging theoretical chemistry with practical applications, inspiring student learning through fundamental theories and state-of-the-art research. He is dedicated to fostering self-motivated, lifelong learners who contribute to scientific advancements. Su supervises PhD projects on topics including atomic-level insights into lithium-ion intercalation in silicon anodes, semiconductor quantum dot sensitization for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution, electronic interactions in electrocatalysts for water splitting, high-energy sodium-sulfur batteries, and BiOX/TiO2 heterojunctions for photocatalytic hydrogen production from wastewater. He actively engages in professional service as a key member of the Australia Battery Society, board member of the Australasian Practical Zero Emissions Society, associate editor for Battery Energy (Wiley) and Frontiers in Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, and editorial board member for InfoMat (Wiley), InfoScience (Wiley), and Nano Research Energy (Springer).