Person
Weiss, Donald Eric (1924 - 2008)
FAA FTSE
- Born
- 4 October 1924
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 29 July 2008
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Occupation
- Industrial chemist
Summary
Don Weiss was co-inventor and primarily responsible for the development of the "Sirotherm" desalination and the "Sirofloc" water clarification processes. He was also responsible for initiating and overseeing the research and development that resulted in a new reconstituted wood product "Scrimber", a new nylon paper wood bale and replacement of asbestos fibres by cellulose fibres in asbestos-cement products. Weiss was Chief of the CSIRO Division of Chemical Technology from 1979 to 1984, followed by a 5-year term as Director of CSIRO's Planning and Evaluation Advisory Unit.
Details
In 1989 D. E. Weiss and A.. J. Priestley (with colleagues) were awarded the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for development of the SIROFLOC process for preparation of potable water.
Chronology
- 1945
- Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Adelaide
- 1945 - 1946
- Career position - Shift Chemist, Associated Pulp and Paper Mills
- 1947
- Career position - Development Chemist, Commonwealth Serum Laboratories
- 1948 - 1965
- Career position - Research scientist, Chemical Engineering Section (later Physical Chemistry Section), Division of Industrial Chemistry, CSIR (later CSIRO)
- 1950
- Award - Rennie Memorial Medal, Australian Chemical Institute
- 1955
- Award - Russell Grimwade Prize, University of Melbourne
- 1959 - 1960
- Career position - Member of Committee, Society of Chemical Industry of Victoria
- 1960
- Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Adelaide
- 1965 - 1971
- Career position - Chief Research Scientist I, CSIRO Division Applied Chemistry
- 1965 - 1976
- Career position - Member, Victorian Branch Committee, Australian Water and Wastewater Association
- 1966
- Award - H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1970 - 1971
- Career position - Chairman, Victorian Branch, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1971
- Career position - Chief Research Scientist II, CSIRO Division Applied Chemistry
- 1971
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 1971
- Award - Archibald D. Olle Prize, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1971 - 1973
- Career position - Member, Water Quality Technical Committee, Water Resources Council of Australia
- 1971 - 1974
- Career position - Assistant Chief, CSIRO Division of Applied Chemistry and Officer-in-Charge, Forest Products Laboratory
- 1973 - 1974
- Career position - President, Victorian Branch Committee, Australian Water and Wastewater Association
- 1973 - 1979
- Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Chemical Technology
- 1975 - 1987
- Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences (FTS)
- 1976
- Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) - Public service
- 1977
- Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1978 - 1979
- Career position - Member of Council, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
- 1979
- Career position - President, Australian Branch, International Water Association
- 1979
- Career position - Member, Water Quality Research Sub-committee, Water Resources Council of Australia
- 1979 - 1984
- Career position - Director, Planning and Evaluation Advisory Unit, CSIRO
- 1982
- Award - Applied Research Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1984 - 1985
- Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute
- 1987 - 2008
- Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) [Foundation Fellow AATS 1975]
- 1989
- Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (with Anthony Priestley and colleagues)
- 1992
- Award - Society of the Chemical Industry, London Award
- 2001
- Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society and science in chemistry
Related entries
Colleague
Published resources
Journal Articles
- Ewers, W. E.; and Weiss, D. E., 'Keith Leonard Sutherland 1916-1980', Historical Records of Australian Science, 5 (2) (1981), 78-88. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9810520078. Details
- Spurling, Thomas H., 'Donald Eric Weiss 1915-1998', Historical Records of Australian Science, 22 (1) (2011), 152-70, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR10014. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q66738108. Details
- 'Weiss, D E (1924-2008)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-586697. Details
Resource Sections
- Ward, C., 'Donald Eric Weiss', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Weiss-Donald-Eric. 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_w.html. Details
- Ward, Colin, 'CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award', in CSIROpedia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2013, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/csiro-entrepreneurship-award/. Details
Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn
Created: 25 May 2001, Last modified: 23 April 2024
- Foundation Supporter - ARC Learned Academies' Special Projects