Professor Andrew Smallridge

Professor Andrew Smallridge is the Dean of the First Year College at Victoria University (VU).

This is a key leadership role in the University tasked with leading the College and implementing, reviewing and continually enhancing the First Year Model.

As Dean, Professor Smallridge is responsible for:

• Strategic Leadership within the College which includes:
  • strategic planning, resource management and commercial activity
  • attraction and leadership of staff (i.e. recruitment, management and provision of professional development opportunities for staff).

• Learning and teaching in the College comprising:
  • design, development, delivery and review of the tertiary curriculum
  • enhancement and maintenance of the courses profile
  • enhancement of the student experience.

• Establishment and maintenance of a dynamic organisation which includes:
  • building effective internal relations
  • commitment to diversity and inclusion
  • adherence with occupational health and safety regulations.

Prior to attaining the role in the First Year College, Professor Smallridge held numerous positions at Victoria University including those of Director, Teaching and Learning (Course Governance), College of Engineering and Science (2015-2017), Associate Professor, College of Engineering and Science (2012-2015), Associate Head, School of Engineering and Science (2009-2012), Associate Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Biology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, School of Engineering and Science (1999-2009) and Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemistry and Biology (1995-1999).

He has taught chemistry-related undergraduate subjects to second and third year students, and currently teaches chemistry to first year students in the First Year College.

Supervision

Over the past 29 years at VU, Professor Smallridge has supervised over 20 Honours students and provided supervision to one Master of Science student and 9 PhD candidates.

Research grants

• Victorian Education Foundation, Chemically Treated Baker's Yeast 1995-96 $32,284
• ARC Small Grant, NMR Spectroscopy to Probe the Mechanism of Yeast Reduction 1997 $8,000
• ARC Small Grant, The Use of NMR to Probe Yeast Substrate Binding in an Organic Solvent 1999 $11,000
• ARC Large Grant, Development of a Superresolving 3D imaging System for High Density Bit Data Storage in Photorefractive Polymers 2000-02 $244,800
• ARC Small Grant, Functional and Structural Analysis of Gylcosyltransferases 2000 $21,163
• Polychip Pharmaceuticals P/L, Yeast Mediated Reductions in Organic Solvents, 1995-2002 $468,534
• Tocovite Pty. Ltd., Bioavailable Vitamin Preparations 1999 $1,102,563
• Horizon Science, Analysis of Sugar Cane for Bioactive molecules 2004-5 $12,259
• Orica Australia, Analysis of unknown gas samples 2006 $1,985
• Xtract Oil Ltd, Extraction of shale oil using SC-CO2 2006 $3,200
• Chemita Pty Ltd, Oligomers for reducing cloud and pour points of POME 2006 $8,089
• Cool Health, Phosphorylation of polyphenols 2007 $9,700.

Publications

Refereed journal articles

Al-Nasiri, G, Cran, M., Smallridge, A.J. and Bigger, S.W. (2018) Optimisation of β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes with natural antimicrobial agents: thymol, carvacrol and linalool. Journal of Microencapsulation, 35 (1). 26 - 35.

Lunevich, L., Sanciolo, P., Smallridge, A., and Gray, S. (2016) Silica scale formation and effect of sodium and aluminium ions -29Si NMR study. Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 2 (1). 174 - 185.

Gianello, R., Libinaki, R., Azzi, A., Gavin, P.D., Negis, Y., Zingg, J-M., Holt, P., Keah, H-H., Griffey, A., Smallridge, A.J., West, S.M. and Ogru, E. (2005) a-Tocopheryl phosphate: a novel, natural form of vitamin E. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 39 (7). pp. 970-976.

Laurence, G., Smallridge, A. J., Trewhella, M. A. (2002) Lactate as an alternative to pyruvate in the yeast mediated preparation of l-PAC,  Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 19-20, 399

Kostraby, M.M., Smallridge, A.J. and Trewhella, M.A. (2002) Yeast-mediated preparation of I-PAC in an organic solvent. Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 77 (7). pp. 827-831.

Refereed book chapters

Day, D., Gu, M. and Smallridge, A. (2002) Review of optical data storage. In Infrared Holography for Optical Communications: Techniques, Materials, and Devices (edited by Boffi, P, Piccinin, D and Ubaldi, MC.) Topics in Applied Physics, 86 . Springer, Berlin, pp. 1-21.

Day, D, Gu, M and Smallridge, A. (2002) Two-photon optical storage in photorefractive polymers in the near-infrared spectral range. In: Infrared Holography for Optical Communications: Techniques, Materials, and Devices (edited by Boffi, P, Piccinin, D and Ubaldi, MC, eds. Topics in Applied Physics, 86. Springer, Berlin, pp. 75-91.

Smallridge, A. J. and Trewhella, M. A. (2001) Yeast-Mediated Reactions in Organic Solvents. In Methods in Biotechnology Series: Enzymes in Nonaqueous Solvents, Methods and Protocols (edited by E. N. Vulfson, P. J. Halling and H. L. Holland) Humana Press.

Smallridge, A. J. and Trewhella, M. A. and Jayasinghe, L. Y. (1994) Yeast Mediated Reductions in Organic Solvents. In Preparative Biotransformations (edited by S. M. Roberts) Wiley UK.

Jackson, W. R., Perlmutter, P., Elmes, P. S., Lovel, C. G., Thompson, R. J., Haarburger, D., Probert, M. K. S., Smallridge, A. J., Campi, E. M., Fitzmaurice, N. J. and Kertesz, M. A. (1985) Metal Catalysed Stereoselective Addition of Hydrogen Cyanide and other Small Molecules to Alkenes and Alkynes. In Organic Synthesis: An Interdisciplinary Challenge (edited by J. Struth, H. Prinzbach and G, Schill) Blackwell.

Conference presentations

Smallridge, A. (2018) Experiences from the First Block at Victoria University, Keynote speaker, Block Plan Conference, QUEST University, July 17-19

McCluskey, T., Weldon, J., Smallridge, A. (2018) Rebuilding the First-Year Experience, One Block at a Time, STARS 8-11 July

McCluskey, T., Weldon, J., Smallridge, A. (2018) Re-booting the First Year Experience in Higher Education, HERDSA July 2-5

Weldon, J., McCluskey, T., Smallridge, A. (2018) Beyond the Classroom: First Year Unit Delivery Reimagined, 43rd International Conference on Improving University Teaching, Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie, Australia, June 27-29

Smallridge, A., Trewhella, M., Blake, K., Hilton, C., Qader, A. (2008) The Biocatalytic Preparation of Ephedrine in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, Biocat 2008, 4th International Congress on Biocatalysis, Hamburg, Germany

Smallridge, A., Trewhella, M., Hilton, C., Qader, A. (2007) A Pilot Scale Study of the Preparation of PAC in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide, Biotrans 2007, 8th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotransformations, Oviedo, Spain

Smallridge, A., Trewhella, M. (2005) Solvent Engineering for Yeast Mediated Reactions, Biotrans 2005, 7th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotransformations, Delft, Netherlands

Athanasiou, N., Raaijmaakers, B., Smallridge, A., Trewhella, M. (2004) A Solventless Reaction System for Yeast Mediated Reactions, Biocat 2004, 2nd International Congress on Biocatalysis, Hamburg, Germany

Blake, K., Smallridge, A., Trewhella, M. (2004) Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Solvent for Yeast Reactions, Biocat 2004, 2nd International Congress on Biocatalysis, Hamburg, Germany.

Professional memberships

• MRACI CChem, Victoria Institute of Teaching

Appearances in the media

Making Media, Radio Ed Week, Radio interview: the block model experience

The Australian, Biggest Winners on the Block, 27 November 2018.

The Australian, Here’s how to do real change in universities, 28 November 2018.