Innovators

Dr Beatrice Tinsley

BSc 1961, MSc (Hons) 1963

Known as the “Queen of the Cosmos”, Beatrice Tinsley’s work has had a profound influence on what scientists know about the stars, the galaxy, and the Universe itself. Deciding by the age of 14 that she wanted to be an astrophysicist, she graduated with an MSc in Physics in 1961. Despite producing over 100 papers in her short 14-year academic career, Beatrice struggled to receive professional recognition in the male-dominated world of academia in the United States. She became a Professor of Astronomy at Yale University, only 3 years before her death in 1981.

Jonathan Ring

BE (Hons) 2018, ME 2022

Development of the technology for Zincovery began during Jonathan’s master’s thesis study. With the assistance of co-founder Professor Aaron Marshall, in two years, the idea has gone from a master’s project to a start-up employing seven people. The innovative tech recycles zinc from galvanised steel five times more efficiently than tradition methods, making it a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative. With a global market opportunity estimated at over $10 billion per annum and several awards under their belt (including the Callaghan Innovation C-Prize in 2020 and KiwiNet’s Breakthrough Innovator Award in 2022) Jonathan is only just getting started.

Sir George Julius

BSc 1896, DSc 1940

Growing up, Sir George Julius spent time in his Dad’s workshop, sparking an early interest in engineering. His professional career started in 1896 when he worked as a railway engineer in Western Australia, before moving on to research work on hardwoods for the Government Railways. In his spare time, George worked on his design for an automatic totaliser, initially intended to be a vote-counting machine. When the government rejected the concept, the design was adapted for its use in horse racing to count bets.

Photo credit: PIC/15611/1-18002 LOC Cold store-Fairfax archive of glass plate negatives/Sir George Julius, New South Wales, ca. 1930s