Born: 24 August 1950, Australia
Died: 5 February 1999
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA
This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Bronwyn Adams graduated from Monash University in 1971 as the first female chemical engineer in Victoria. She was the first female to be employed as an engineer by the Altona Petrochemical Company (APC), where she worked for 18 years. In 1991 she began working at the University of Melbourne, firstly as executive manager in the School of Chemistry and later as general manager of the Faculty of Education. Adams maintained a close relationship with the University of Melbourne after leaving in 1996 and working as an independent consultant. The Bronwyn Adams and Karen Hapgood Award is given annually by Monash University to its highest-Achieving female undergraduate in chemical engineering.
Chronology
1971
Education – Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Monash University in Victoria
1982 – 1986
Career position – Technical Manager at Altona Petrochemical Company (APC)
1987 – 1989
Career position – Human Resources Manager at APC
1989 – c. 1991
Career position – Process Manageer for APC
1991 – 1993
Career position – Executive Manager of the School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne
1993 – c. 1996
Career position – General Manager of the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne
1996 –
Career position – Private Consultant
The following was written by Nina Baker and is excerpted from the book From Alchemy to Transport Phenomena: A Global History of Women in Chemical Engineering.
Bronwyn Jane Adams (1950-1999) graduated from Monash University in 1971 as the first female chemical engineer in Victoria and some 20 years after Blagonravoff. This seems to have been the beginning of a steady trickle as a further 15 women graduated from the University of Queensland alone in the following 6 years. Adams was the first female to be employed as an engineer by the Altona Petrochemical Company (APC), where she worked for 18 years. In 1991 she began working at the University of Melbourne, firstly as executive manager in the School of Chemistry and later as general manager of the Faculty of Education. Adams maintained a close relationship with the University of Melbourne after leaving in 1996 and working as an independent consultant.