Rate My Professor Sheila Devasahayam

Dr. Sheila Devasahayam is a Senior Lecturer in the WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering at Curtin University, Australia. She holds two PhDs, one in materials science from the University of Queensland, Australia, and another in metallurgical science from the University of Madras, India. Her research focuses on high-performance materials, polymer science, mineral processing, sustainable technologies, and interpretable machine learning applications in resource recovery. Specific interests encompass adsorption, heterogeneous catalysis, polymers, minerals, polymerization, material characterization, nanomaterials, reaction kinetics, waste recycling from plastics and biomass, hydrogen production via co-gasification, flotation processes, and decarbonization of cement and metallurgical industries. She has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, several books, book chapters, and a patent application, with her work accumulating over 900 citations.

Devasahayam's career includes current role as Senior Lecturer at Curtin University, previous Visiting Fellow at UNSW Sydney's School of Materials Science and Engineering from 2011 to 2012, Lecturer at Federation University from 2013, and research positions at the University of Sydney from 2004 to 2005. Key publications include 'Interpretable Machine Learning for Identifying Key Variables Influencing Gold Recovery and Grade' (Materials, 2025), 'Predicting Methane Dry Reforming Performance via Multi-Output Machine Learning: A Comparative Study of Regression Models' (Energies, 2025), 'Energy-Efficient Gold Flotation via Coarse Particle Generation Using VSI and HPGR Comminution' (Materials, 2025), 'Advancing Flotation Process Modeling: Bayesian vs. Sklearn Approaches for Gold Grade Prediction' (Minerals, 2025), 'Nano Tools and Devices for Enhanced Renewable Energy' (book, 2023), and 'Pyrolysis of Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR): Thermogravimetry, In-Situ Synchrotron IR and Gas-Phase IR of Polymeric Components' (2023). She has collaborated with NASA, JAERI, BHP Billiton, JSPL, and Moly Cop, secured funding for critical minerals, green chemistry, and decarbonization projects, and been recognized as a Stanford-Elsevier Global Top 2% Scientist in mining and metallurgy since 2021. Devasahayam serves as an editor and reviewer for international journals, guest editor for special issues on sustainability and advanced materials, teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses in metallurgy, chemical engineering, and environmental policy, and supervises PhD and master's students.