NZIC
NZIC Canterbury’s Trivia Quiz was held on 18 September. Teams of up to five individuals dusted off their thinking caps and indulged in pizza, nibbles and non-alcoholic beverages. The winners were:
- Ironic Bonds, with 49 points
- Harry Vincent, with 44.5 points
- Buffer, I hardly know her, with 42 points
Prizes and awards
Professor Hartshorn invite
Professor Richard M. Hartshorn was invited by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to take part in a Technical Meeting of Experts on establishing a global academic network to support the Chemical Weapons Convention. The meeting was held 4–6 November 2025 at the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology in The Hague and brought together leading experts from around the world to strengthen academic collaboration, research and teaching that underpin efforts to prevent the misuse of chemical sciences. His invitation reflects UC’s strong international reputation and continued contribution to issues of global peace and security.
Ian Shaw named double finalist
The UCSA Student Choice Awards (formerly Staff of the Year) celebrate UC staff who go above and beyond to enrich the student experience. From inspiring lecturers and dedicated supervisors to the unsung heroes in administration, support, and technical roles, these awards give students the chance to honour the staff who make a real difference in their university journey. This year, students submitted over 130 nominations, sharing heartfelt stories of staff who have inspired, guided, and supported them. Ian was a finalist in two categories: Great Character Award and Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year. Congrats, Ian!
Departmental news
The SPCS Postgraduate Showcase was held on 24 October, marking a day celebrating research across the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences. The showcase featured student talks, poster sessions and a plenary lecture by Dr Moein Seyfouri (UNSW Sydney, Australia). We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the 2025 Postgraduate Showcase. The quality of the presentations was excellent, and it is always inspiring to see the wide diversity of research going on within our School! Special thanks to our plenary speaker (Dr Moein Seyfouri) and to everyone who presented or played important roles in making the event a success. This includes our administration team, session chairs and judges. Many thanks to RSC NZ, NZIC, NZIP and SPCS for sponsoring the prizes, it is much appreciated.
Congratulations to our prize winners:
Stream 1
- 3rd Year Talk (Sponsored by NZIC): Josh Hughes, Nicole Soriano Ladino
- 2nd Year Talk (Ralph H. Earle Jr Prize): Michelle Bailey
- Poster (Sponsored by RSC): Eden Pidgeon, Askin Eldiven
Stream 2
- 3rd year talk (Sponsored by NZIP): Shreyas Tiruvaskar
- 2nd year talk (Sponsored by NZIP): Sebastian Vergara Carrasco
- 1st year talk (Sponsored by SPCS): Kate Southon
- Poster (Sponsored by SPCS): Jaime Luisi
Publications
R. Talukdar & A. J. Fairbanks. Photoredox mediated one-step syntheses of aryl C-glycosides from unprotected glycosyl sulfinates, Chem. Commun. 2025, 61, 15243-15245. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5CC03316K
