David Vernon Boger (born 13 November 1939) is an Australian

chemical engineer A chemical engineer is a professional equipped with the knowledge of chemistry and other basic sciences who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of Product (chemistry), products and deals with ...

. In 2017, Boger was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

for discoveries and fundamental research on elastic and particulate fluids and their application to waste minimization in the minerals industry.

Life

He graduated from

Bucknell University Bucknell University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal-arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts a ...

with a B.S. where he studied with Robert Slonaker, and from

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

with an M.S. and Ph.D. He teaches at

Monash University Monash University () is a public university, public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia. Named after World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the ...

, the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

, and the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. He is one of three inaugural Laureate Professors at the University of Melbourne.

Work

Boger is known for his studies of non-Newtonian fluids (which behave both as liquids and solids) which have improved the understanding of how this group of fluids flow and led to major financial and environmental benefits. Boger discovered 'perfect' non-Newtonian fluids, which are elastic and have constant viscosity and are now known as Boger fluids, which enabled him to explain how non-Newtonian fluids behave. He was able to apply his ideas to improve the disposal of "red mud", a toxic waste produced during the manufacture of aluminium from bauxite and a major environmental problem. His findings have also led to improved inks for industrial inkjet printers, insecticide chemicals that spread evenly on leaves and reduced drag in oil pipelines. He was elected to the Fellowship of the

Australian Academy of Science The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including Australian Fellows of the Royal Society of London. The first president was Sir Mark Oliphant. The academy is modelled after the Royal Soci ...

in 1993 and served on the Council of the Australian Academy of Science from 1999 to 2002. He was awarded the Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture in 2000. In 2007 he was elected

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

and of the

Royal Society of Victoria The Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) is the oldest scientific society in Victoria, Australia. Foundation In 1854 two organisations formed with similar aims and membership, these being the Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science (found ...

Honours and awards

*2005 Prime Minister's Prize for Science *2000 Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture by the

*2017 Elected to the

US National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the N ...

*2024 Appointed

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

References

1939 births Living people Australian chemical engineers Fellows of the Royal Society People from Kutztown, Pennsylvania Bucknell University alumni Grainger College of Engineering alumni Academic staff of Monash University Academic staff of the University of Melbourne University of Florida faculty Companions of the Order of Australia Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science Chemical engineering academics {{Australia-scientist-stub