Boger, David Vernon (1939 - )

Summary

David Boger is a chemical engineer whose fundamental research into fluid elasticity has led to an understanding of fluid behaviour across industries, enabling them to be designed for different purposes. Examples of now-called 'Boger fluids' include tomato sauce, toothpaste, molten plastics and mineral slurries. His work has been central to such activities as food processing, plastics manufacturing and the functioning of our joints. In a prime example of University-Industry collaboration, Boger worked with the operators of the Moonie pipeline, he was able to define an effective method of modifying the flow conditions with a pour-point depressant. This enabled ICI Australia to screen rapidly in their Research Laboratory a range of pour-point depressants to arrive at their RP39G, which is now being used in the pipeline. Boger has held senior academic positions at the University of Melbourne and Monash University. His research has been recognised with a number of awards, including Chemeca Medal of the Australian and New Zealand Federation of Chemical Engineers (2000)and the Prime Minister's Prize for Science (2005).

Details

Chronology

1961

Education - BS (Chem.Eng), Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

1963

Education - MS (Chem.Eng), University of Illinois, U.S.A.

1965

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois, U.S.A.

1965 - 1971

Career position - Lecturer, Monash University

1971 - 1980

Career position - Senior Lecturer, Monash University

1974 - 1976

Career position - Committee Member, Victorian Group, Institution of Chemical Engineers

1978 - 1983

Career position - Delegate, International Committee on Rheology

1980 - 1982

Career position - Reader in engineering, Monash University

1982 - 2009

Career position - Professor of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne

1983

Award - Annual Award, British Society of Rheology

1985

Award - Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research

1986 - 2003

Award - Fellow, Institution of Chemical Engineers in Australia

1988 - 1990

Career position - Deputy Dean (Research), Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne

1989 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)

1990 - 1992

Career position - Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Engineering, University of Melbourne

1990 - 2004

Career position - Delegate, International Committee on Rheology

1991

Award - Esso Award for Excellence in Chemical Engineering

1991 - 1995

Career position - Committee Member, Australian Society of Rheology

1991 - 1999

Career position - Deputy Director, Advanced Mineral Products Centre, Australian Research Council

1991 - 2002

Career position - Chairman, Trade Waste Acceptance Advisory Committee, Melbourne Water Corporation

1992 - 1999

Career position - Research Program Leader, CRC for Industrial Plant Biopolymers

1993 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1993

Award - Pol Eureka Prize for Environmental Research, Australian Museum

1994

Award - Australian Society of Rheology Medallion

1995

Award - Walter Ahlstroem Environmental Prize, Finnish Academy of Technology

1995 - 1998

Career position - Committee, Sectional Committee 5, Australian Academy of Science

1996 - 1999

Career position - Board Member, G K Williams Cooperative Research Centre for Extractive Metallurgy

1997 - 1999

Career position - Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Melbourne

1998

Award - CSIRO External Medal for Excellence in Research

1998 - 2003

Award - BHP Billiton Fellow

1999 - 2000

Career position - Research Program Leader, CRC for Bioproducts

1999 - 2002

Career position - President, Australian Society of Rheology

1999 - 2002

Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Science

2000

Award - Chemeca Medal, Australian and New Zealand Federation of Chemical Engineers

2000

Award - Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture, Australian Academy of Science

2000 - 2004

Career position - Director, Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, Australian Research Council

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society and science in chemical engineering

2002

Award - K. L. Sutherland Memorial Medal, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

2003

Award - Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award, Australian Academy of Technological and Engineering

2004

Award - Gold Medal, British Society of Rheology

2005 -

Award - Honorary Life Member, Australian Society of Rheology

2005

Award - Prime Minister's Prize for Science, Commonwealth of Australia

2007 -

Award - Fellow, Royal Society, London

2008 -

Award - Fellow, Royal Society of Victoria

2009 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Melbourne

2009 -

Award - Inaugural Bragg Member, Royal Institute of Australia

2010 -

Award - Fellow, Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society

2011

Award - Doctor of Engineering (DE), honoris causa, University of Melbourne

2011 - 2015

Career position - Professor of Engineering, Monash University

2016 -

Award - Emeritus Fellow, The Society of Rheology

2017 -

Career position - Member, US National Academy of Engineering

2024

Award - Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to chemical engineering as a scientist, academic and researcher, particularly in the field of non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, and to the environment

Related entries

Published resources

Reports

• Institution of Engineers Australia, Annual Report 2001 (Barton, ACT: 2001), 20 pp. '2000 Chemeca Medal awarded to Professor David Boger', p.6. Details

Resources

• 'Boger, David Vernon (1939 - )', Recipients [of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science, 2000 - 2017], Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2017, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171113014735/http://www.science.gov.au/community/PrimeMinistersPrizesforScience/Recipients/2005/Pages/Professor-David-Boger.aspx. Details
• 'Boger, David Vernon (1939-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1473893. Details
• 'Awarded honorary DE, 2011 [Citation provided]', Honorary degree holders, University of Melbourne, 2023, https://about.unimelb.edu.au/notable-alumni-staff/honorary-degree-holders. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Emeritus Professor David Vernon Boger: Companion of the Order of Australia', in It's an Honour, Australian Awards and Honours Secretariat, Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2024. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/3016985. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/index_b.html. Details