Paul Fraser

Dr Paul Fraser is a Lecturer in the School of Science at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales. He holds a PhD in theoretical physics and a BSc in applied mathematics and physics, both from the University of Melbourne. Throughout his career, he has taught physics and mathematics at four Australian universities, honing skills in developing conceptual understanding and mathematical proficiency among diverse student groups, from early high school to final-year undergraduates, including mature-age, international, and Indigenous students. Prior to joining UNSW, Fraser undertook postdoctoral fellowships at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Padova, Italy, and Curtin University in Western Australia.

Fraser's research centers on low-energy scattering processes involving light nuclei, with a particular emphasis on reactions of astrophysical significance. He applies a novel computational approach to solve coupled-channel Lippmann-Schwinger equations, incorporating realistic nuclear potentials and adhering to the Pauli principle for nuclear excitations. His contributions include the book A New Development at the Intersection of Nuclear Structure and Reaction Theory (Springer International Publishing, 2019, co-authored with S. Karataglidis, K. Amos, and L. Canton) and numerous journal articles, such as 'Coupled-channel description for mirror mass-11 nuclei compared to shell-model structures' (European Physical Journal A, 2022, with K. Amos, S. Karataglidis, L. Canton, K. Murulane), 'Low-energy spectra of mirror mass-19 nuclei with a collective coupled-channel scattering model' (European Physical Journal A, 2021), 'Mass-15 nuclei and predicting narrow states beyond the proton drip line' (Physical Review C, 2019), 'Importance of resonance widths in low-energy scattering of weakly bound light-mass nuclei' (Physical Review C, 2016), and 'Coupled-channel evaluations of cross sections for scattering involving particle-unstable resonances' (Physical Review Letters, 2008). Fraser has earned the Australian Defence Force Commendation at Bronze Level (2022, Australian Defence College Joint Capabilities Group) and the CISRA Prize in Physics (2008). He supervises MSc and PhD students on nuclear scattering projects and examines the impacts of home jurisdiction, COVID-19, and the Australian National Curriculum on high school physics and mathematics outcomes.

Professional Email: paul.fraser@unsw.edu.au