Australian Research Council (ARC) Laureate Professor Veena Sahajwalla is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer and inventor revolutionising recycling science. She is renowned for pioneering the high temperature transformation of waste in the production of a new generation of ‘green materials.’ In 2018 Veena launched the world’s first e-waste microfactory. As the founding Director of the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, she is producing a new generation of green materials and products made entirely, or primarily, from waste. Veena also heads the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for ‘green manufacturing’, a leading national research centre that works in collaboration with industry to ensure new recycling science is translated into real world environmental and economic benefits. In 2018 she was elected as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. In 2016, Veena was named one of Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers and in 2015, Veena named Australia’s 100 Most Influential Engineers, both by Engineers Australia. In 2013, Veena received the ‘Howe Memorial Lecture Award’, Pittsburgh, USA in appreciation for her lecture on ‘The Power of Steelmaking – harnessing high temperature reactions to transform waste into raw material resources’.

Silvia Black obtained a BSc (App. Chem.) degree from Curtin University, a Grad Dip (Food and Drug Analysis) from UNSW and a PhD (Hydrometallurgical Chemistry) from Murdoch University. Silvia’s scientific expertise spans over 30 years in fields of chemistry in mining, food, water, education, racing, forensic and environmental science. Silvia is Manager of Project Development at ChemCentre, relating particularly to mining-related environmental and technical challenges. Silvia leads and manages a portfolio of research projects that are funded by industry and research funding bodies. Silvia is Fellow Member of the AusIMM and Fellow Member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI).

Cristian Serrano is a Metallurgical Civil Engineer and candidate for a Master's Degree in Engineering Sciences with a mention in Metallurgy from Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), Chile. Currently, Serrano is academic and head of Metallurgical Engineering major at the same university.

Dr. Minakshi obtained his PhD at Murdoch University in 2006 in the area of electrochemistry. Dr. Minakshi is currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at Murdoch University. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in high standard journals. His research field is in the area of energy storage materials in the solid state, aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes including batteries and supercapacitors.

Associate Professor Gamini Senanayake is a senior lecturer in Mineral Science at Murdoch University and an expert on the application of ionic activity data and speciation analysis to hydrometallurgical processes and the rationalisation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the leaching of minerals and recovery of metals. Associate Professor Senanayake’s project include: Catalysts for reactions of hydrometallurgical importance; high temperature hydrometallurgical thermodynamics; beneficiation and utilisation of red mud residues from alumina processing; mechanisms of gold leaching; ion salvation thermodynamics and applications, and; atmospheric leaching and recovery of metals from nickel laterite ores.