Rate My Professor John O'Connor

Emeritus Professor John O'Connor is a physicist in the College of Engineering, Science and Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia, where he has been a staff member since 1981. He earned his BSc, BSc (Hons), PhD, and DSc from the Australian National University. Throughout his career, he served as Head of the Department of Physics from 1991 to 1997 and Head of the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. O'Connor held prominent roles including President of the Australian Institute of Physics from 2001 to 2003, Vice President from 1999 to 2001, and Secretary of the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies from 2003 to 2006. He has been a Visiting Professor at Fudan University, China, since 2010, and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University since 1999. His contributions earned him the Australian Institute of Physics Award for Outstanding Service to Physics and the University of Newcastle Convocation Medal for Exceptional Contribution in 2024. O'Connor is a member of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering since 2002 and has served on numerous national and international committees, including the Prime Minister's Science Engineering and Innovation Council Working Group and editorial boards for journals such as Progress in Surface Science and Surface Review and Letters.

O'Connor's research centers on materials science with an emphasis on surface physics, utilizing ion beam techniques from 100 eV to 1 GeV to study surface structure and composition. Key developments include low and medium energy ion scattering and the O'Connor potential, his most highly cited paper. He has authored nearly 200 refereed publications, including books Surface Analysis Methods in Materials Science (1992 and 2003) and chapters such as Surface Characterization by Ion Scattering Spectroscopy (2018). His work has attracted over $18.7 million in funding and advanced applications in hadron therapy, radiation-resistant materials for nuclear reactors and fusion, and medical physics. Beyond research, O'Connor excels in science outreach as a founding member and Chair of the National Council for the Science and Engineering Challenge, expanding it internationally to New Zealand, Fiji, Singapore, and England, significantly boosting STEM enrolments at the University of Newcastle. He has collaborated with institutions like Imperial College and contributed to science centers such as Supernova and Questacon, while delivering public lectures and radio broadcasts.