Rate My Professor Evan Bieske

Professor Evan Bieske serves as Head of the School of Chemistry within the Faculty of Science at the University of Melbourne, a position he has held since around 2016. He joined the University of Melbourne in 1995 after completing his BSc in Physics from the University of Queensland in 1979 and PhD in Physics from Griffith University in 1990, supervised by A.E.W. Knight. Following his doctoral studies, Bieske worked as a research fellow with J.P. Maier at the University of Basel in Switzerland, advancing his expertise in laser spectroscopy of molecular systems. Throughout his career at Melbourne, he progressed to full professorship, leading innovative research programs funded by the Australian Research Council, including projects such as 'Ions in the Fire: Laser Spectroscopy of Cryogenically Cooled Molecular Ions' and 'Laser Facility for Ultra-Sensitive Molecular Characterization'.

Bieske's research specializes in gas-phase spectroscopy and astrochemistry, employing laser techniques to study the properties of molecular ions, clusters, nanoparticles, and charged molecular assemblies. His group develops advanced instrumentation, including ion mobility mass spectrometers coupled with cryogenic ion traps, to record electronic and infrared spectra of isomer-selected species. Key publications include 'Giant Infrared Resonances of Cyclocarbon Cations' (2024), 'An ion mobility mass spectrometer coupled with a cryogenic ion trap for recording electronic spectra of charged, isomer-selected clusters' (2022), 'Electronic Spectra of Gas-Phase Polycyclic Aromatic Nitrogen Heterocycle Cations: Isoquinoline+ and Quinoline+' (2015), 'Reversible Photoswitching of Isolated Ionic Hemiindigos with Visible Light' (2020), and 'Halving the Barrier to Gas-Phase Oxidation of Bromide by Ozone' (2023). With over 200 peer-reviewed papers and nearly 5,000 citations, his work has significantly influenced the fields of physical chemistry and interstellar chemistry. Bieske received the Morrison Medal from the Australian and New Zealand Society for Mass Spectrometry in 2011 and held an Australian Professorial Fellowship. He has delivered public lectures, such as 'Lost in Space: Interstellar Chemistry and the Mystery of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands,' and served on international scientific committees, including for the International Symposium on Free Radicals.