South East born casual research academic Bradley Kirk has pursued his passion for science to Flinders University where he has finished his PhD and is awaiting being awarded his doctorate.
Mr Kirk completed a Bachelor of Science Honours with a double degree in chemistry and physics in the Enhanced Program for High Achievers, finishing with first class honours.
He was published as an author for the first time early last year in The Royal Society of Chemistry science journal Materials Advances for his paper titled ‘Introducing neat fullerenes to improve the thermal stability of slot-die coated organic solar cells’.
Mr Kirk said to have his work published, especially as a PhD student, was a significant step in his research career and it would not have been possible without co-authors Dr Xun Pan, Dr Martyn Jevric, Professor Gunther Andersson and Professor Mats Andersson.
“In the field of science, publication is like the currency in the research world so the more you publish and the more you publish in higher journals, the more well-known and more experienced you are,” he said.
“The first publication is the first step towards being known in your research field.
“My research has also allowed me to present my findings nationally and internationally, with the most recent being at the 2022 International Conference on the Science and Technology of Synthetic Metals, Scotland.
“Most of the time a lot of things are just going against you but it’s just those few times that things do work and you can explain why and then you get published and that’s the feeling you sort of strive for.
“I work with organic-based molecules which is basically materials that are synthesised in the laboratory from hydrocarbons and converting that to materials that can act as semiconductors.
“The research that I’m doing is more towards applicational research so it’s research where it will have an impact in the world sooner.”
Mr Kirk said despite growing up in the sports dominated South East his interest for science was encouraged by his teachers.
“In Year 10 at Grant, I remember Mr Fisher as a physics teacher and he was very passionate and very enthusiastic about physics,” he said.
“I became quite interested to learn more about physics so that’s probably where that passion really grew in relation to science.
“I think I have always had a curious mind at a young age but I was a bit unsure where that was going to take me.
“By the time I did first year, I did a voluntary internship with a research group at Flinders University where I shadowed a PhD student and the research they did and from that time there it sort of galvanised my interest to pursue research.”
During his studies Mr Kirk has received the Flinder’s University Medal for outstanding achievement and the Flinder’s Prize in Physics.
“I was very ecstatic to receive the award (the Flinder’s University Medal), it was not something I was ever aiming for but to receive it sort of showed how well I actually did,” he said.
“I never aimed for awards so to actually receive the physic’s prize, it was a good feeling and continued to encourage me to push hard in my studies.
“I have had a lot of support from a lot of people so my success has never been myself like yes I have put in the hard work but I would not have gotten here without support.”
