Shaun Hendy

Biography

Shaun Hendy is Director of the Te PÅ«naha Matatini, a Centre of Research Excellence, and a Professor of Physics at the University of Auckland. Shaun has a PhD in physics from the University of Alberta in Canada and a BSc(Hons) in mathematical physics from Massey University.  He has a wide range of research interests, including computational physics, nanoscience, complex systems and innovation.  In 2010, Shaun was awarded the New Zealand Association of Scientists Research Medal and a Massey University Distinguished Young Alumni Award.  In 2012 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand for his research on nanotechnology, and in 2013 he was awarded ANZIAM’s E. O. Tuck medal for research in applied mathematics. Shaun blogs, writes for Unlimited Magazine and has a regular slot on Radio New Zealand Nights as physics correspondent.  In 2012, Shaun was awarded the Callaghan Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand and the Prime Minister’s Science Media Communication Prize for his achievements as a science communicator. His first book, Get Off the Grass, co-authored with the late Sir Paul Callaghan, was published in August 2013.

Research Interest

Shaun uses methods from theoretical and computational physics to study the properties of materials at the atomic scale.  He is interested in how fluids flow over complex surfaces like those on leaves or Gore-Tex.  He also studies the properties of nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles.  Finally, he also uses methods from physics and mathematics to study how innovation works, particularly how it can be affected by collaboration and distance.