Rate My Professor Nicholas Kanizaj

Dr. Nicholas Kanizaj is a Senior Lecturer in Explosive Ordnance and Postgraduate Explosive Ordnance Program Coordinator in the School of Engineering and Technology at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales. He joined UNSW in 2022. Since 2016, he has conducted commercial research for domestic clients in the areas of rocket propellants, small arms propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. Kanizaj's research specializations include propellant design, additive manufacture of energetic and reactive materials, and advanced formulation technologies relevant to explosive ordnance manufacture. His active research areas encompass next-generation energetic and reactive materials, additive manufacture of structures relevant to explosive ordnance design, rocket and ramjet fuel design, and government-contracted projects on upscaled energy storage systems and improvements to their rate and delivery efficiency. Keywords associated with his work include defence, propulsion, supersonic, weapon, energy storage, chemical, and manufacture. He leverages atypical formulation technologies for the manufacture of novel propellant and pyrotechnic systems.

Kanizaj teaches courses on the design of rocket motors, propellants, pyrotechnics, explosive ordnance design, and systems. He serves as Member at Large (Academic) in the school executives. His scholarly output includes eight journal articles and co-editing the forthcoming book Fundamentals of Explosive Ordnance (CRC Press, 2026) with Paul J. Hazell. Key publications are 'Application of Printed Electronics in Guided Explosive Ordnance Systems' (Contemporary Issues in Air and Space Power, 2024, with D. Santilli), 'Unveiling the Potential of Novel Ternary Chalcogenide SrHfSe3 for Eco-Friendly, Self-Powered, Near-Infrared Photodetectors: A SCAPS-1D Simulation Study' (Sci, 2025, with S. Abdo et al.), 'Diastereoselective osmium-catalyzed vicinal oxyamination of acyclic allylic alcohol derivatives' (Chirality, 2014, with Masruri and M.D. McLeod), 'The Escherichia coli glucuronylsynthase promoted synthesis of steroid glucuronides: Improved practicality and broader scope' (Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 2014, with P. Ma et al.), and 'Experimental and Computational Studies into an ATPH-Promoted exo-Selective IMDA Reaction: A Short Total Synthesis of Δ9-THC' (Chemistry - A European Journal, 2010, with E.L. Pearson et al.).