Science, engineering and technology at Macquarie University
Read the latest news from our divisions of science and technology:
- Environmental and Life Sciences – biological sciences, chemistry and biomolecular sciences, earth and planetary sciences, environmental sciences, health and chiropractic, human geography and physical geography
- Information and Communication Sciences – astronomy and astrophysics, computing, electronics, mathematics and physics
- Linguistics and Psychology.
History
Since the start of undergraduate teaching in 1967, Macquarie University has offered undergraduate students the opportunity to study chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology and psychology.
In its initial years, the School of Mathematics and Physics was the largest of the science schools at Macquarie University. It was quickly outstripped by the School of Earth Sciences which began with 125 enrolments in 1967 and increased to 422 by 1976. Strong growth also occurred in the school of Behavioural Sciences that started with 61 enrolments in 1967 and increased to 800 a decade later.
Although all schools suffered a slump in the mid 70s due to a decrease in the demand of science graduates, the School of Biological Sciences peaked in numbers in 1977.
Environmental studies was introduced in 1973 and the Centre for Environment Studies was formed in 1978. This was later renamed to the Graduate School of the Environment in 1989.
Computing was introduced at Macquarie University in 1981 and by 1987 student numbers had doubled. In 1987 computing was the largest of the science disciplines. Around this time the Chiropractics Institute was established at the University.
Since the late 1980s, research at Macquarie University has grown in strength and reputation, winning large grants from the Commonwealth Government for the University to host 13 major Research Centres and facilities across science and technology areas.
Innovative research – like designing the chip for the Tasman Cable System that for years remained Australia's fastest integrated circuit – provided background, expertise and equipment to teach in emerging areas of applied science and technology, such as telecommunications.
Research projects increasingly became partnership ventures with industry and government, for example developing procedures and kits used to detect Giardia and Cryptosporidium during the 1998 Sydney water crisis, and brought forth new products and services of commercial importance. Most successful to date is the wireless local area network (LAN) technology developed jointly with the CSIRO. This breakthrough led to a spin-off a company, Radiata, which made world news when it was purchased in 2000 by CISCO Systems in Australia's largest ever private IT transaction.
Take a step back into time – view a visual history of Macquarie University.