Dr Jerome Leveneur, Dr John Vedamuthu Kennedy, and George Chisholm
Based at GNS Science at Lower Hutt, Ion Beam Material Scientist Dr Jerome Leveneur, works in a team that includes John Vedamuthu Kennedy and George Chisholm.
Jerome grew up on the Indian Ocean, French island, of La Réunion.
What are you working on for SfTI?
I’m involved in two on SftI Spearhead projects: Additive manufacturing and 3D and/or 4D printing of bio-composites, and Inverting Electromagnetics, a new way of measuring groundwater flow.
What drove you to a career in science?
I’ve loved science, physics in particular, since school. I really enjoy understanding how things work and the scientific process involved in finding answers.
What’s your role with SfTI?
For the Additive manufacturing and 3D and/or 4D printing of bio-composites project, I’m looking at new ways of changing organic materials’ properties. With the Inverting Electromagnetics research, I’m contributing to a magnetic field sensor’s design to help calibration of a proposed ground water flow system.
What’s exciting about SfTI?
The fact that we’re bringing together scientists and research institutes from different fields that wouldn’t necessarily interact. It gets us to think outside our comfort zone and help build strong collaboration.
If you could give NZ science marks out of 10, what number would you choose?
7.5.
Why?
Really good: it’s full of great opportunities. (There’s) some level of isolation between research organisation encouraged by historic importance given to competitive research funding. Also, there might be some room to improve how to transform scientific discoveries into real impact.
What are NZ science strength and weaknesses?
Strength: NZ’s a small country with a larger impact on the global stage than many per capita, meaning we have a concentrated pool of interesting people. This is potentially a dream for multi-disciplinary research.
Weakness: NZ’s a small country, meaning we can lack some of the resources that could help take created knowledge out and have an even greater societal impact.
In your view what’s the role of Vision Mātauranga in SfTI?
Awareness. I didn’t know or understand VM before getting involved with SfTI and am enjoying learning about it.