Barber, Michael Newton (1947 - )

Summary

Michael Barber is internationally recognised as a physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of statistical mechanics, two-dimensional lattice models, improved techniques for extrapolating sequences, and (with M. E. Fisher) the scaling theory of systems of finite size. For over 20 years Barber taught and conducted his research at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University. He held senior administrative positions in several Australian universities including as Vice-Chancellor at Flinders University. Between 2000 and 2008 he held senior positions with CSIRO as Executive Director of Science and Planning and Group Executive in Information, Manufacturing and Materials. His broader contributions to science policy in Australia has been as a member of committees of the Australian Research Council, the Australian Academy of Science, and the Australian Council of Learned Academies. In 2000 barber became a Member of the Editorial Advisory Committee of the Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation.

Details

Chronology

1968

Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of New South Wales

1969 - 1972

Career position - CSIRO Overseas Pre-doctoral Fellow, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.

1972

Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

1972 - 1973

Career position - Queen Elizabeth II Fellow, Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University

1974 - 1977

Career position - Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales

1977 - 1980

Career position - Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales

1979 - 1980

Career position - Visiting Professor, Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA (six months)

1981 - 1983

Career position - Associate Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales

1982 - 1983

Career position - Visiting Research Scientist, Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California, USA (six months)

1984 - 1993

Career position - Professor of Mathematics, Australian National University

1985 - 1990

Career position - Head, Department of Mathematics, Australian National University

1987

Career position - Visiting Research Scientist, Institute of Theoretical Physics, U.S.A.

1988 - 1990

Career position - Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science, Australian National University

1990 - 1993

Career position - Dean, Faculty of Science, Australian National University

1992 -

Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1994 -

Career position - Director, Western Australian New Materials and Technology Centre

1994 - 2002

Career position - Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of Western Australia

1994 - 2002

Career position - Director, Technology & Innovation Management Pty. Ltd.

1997 - 1999

Career position - Chair, Research Training and Careers Committee, Australian Research Council

1997 - 2001

Career position - Member, Australian Research Council

2000

Career position - Chair, Joint Grants and Fellowship Committee, Australian Research Council

2000 - 2002

Career position - Director, Advanced Powder Technology Ltd

2001

Award - Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through university administration and scientific research

2002 - 2005

Career position - Secretary of Science Policy, Australian Academy of Science

2002 - 2006

Career position - Executive Director of Science Planning, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)

2003 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia

2006 - 2007

Career position - Group Executive, Information, CSIRO Manufacturing and Materials

2007 - 2009

Career position - Director, Astronomy Australia Ltd

2008 - 2014

Career position - Vice-Chancellor, Flinders University

2008 - 2014

Career position - Director, AARNeT

2008 - 2014

Career position - Member, Southern Adelaide Economic Development Board

2009 -

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

2009 -

Award - Fellow, Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics, U.S.A.

2010 - 2014

Career position - Director, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute

2012 -

Career position - Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors

2013 - 2016

Career position - Chair, Securing Australia's Future Program Steering Committee, Australian Council of Learned Academies

2014 -

Career position - Emeritus Professor, Flinders University

2015 -

Career position - Adjunct Professor, Business School, University of Technology Sydney

2015 - 2016

Career position - Member, Expert Working Group, Review of Australia's Research Training System

2015 - 2016

Career position - Senior Fellow, Australia-Indonesia Centre

2017 - 2019?

Career position - Treasurer, Australian Academy of Science

2018

Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to higher education administration, and in the field of mathematical physics, particularly statistical mechanics, as an academic and researcher, and through contributions to science policy reform

2022 -

Career position - Member, Editorial Advisory Committee, Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

Related entries

Published resources

Journal Articles

• Barber, Michael N.; and Mccormick, Paul G., 'Robert Street 1920 - 2013', Historical Records of Australian Science, 27 (2) (2016), 211-24, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR15013. Details

Resources

• Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25183911. Details
• VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/14852269. Details
• 'Michael Barber - Citation at year of election, 1992', Fellows of the Academy, Australian Academy of Science, 2019, https://www.science.org.au/profile/michael-barber-0. Details
• 'Barber, Michael N (1947-)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-458546. Details

Resource Sections

• 'Emeritus Professor Michael Newton Barber', in It's an Honour, Australian Awards and Honours Secretariat, Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2018. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2000331. Details
• Spurling, Tom; Healy, Terry; and Barber, Michael, 'Michael Barber, interviewed by Tom Spurling and Terry Healy, 3 December 2017', in CSIRO Oral History Project, video, text summary and transcript., CSIROpedia, 3 December 2017, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/interview-with-michael-barber/. Details
• Ward, C., 'Michael Newton Barber', in CSIROpedia, C. Ward, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), 2011, https://csiropedia.csiro.au/Barber-Michael-Newton/. Details

See also

• Robson, Alexandra K.; Production Manager and Editor eds, Who's who in Australia 2019 (Southbank, Vic.: AAP Directories, 2018), 1788 pp. Details