About us

Professor Piper's groundbreaking work

A true trailblazer of laser physics and a pioneer of laser research in Australia.

A true trailblazer of laser physics and a pioneer of laser research in Australia.

After arriving as a young Lecturer at Macquarie in 1975 he established one of Australia's first laser research centres and in 1988, won funding for the first Australian Research Council Special Research Centre in Physics - the Special Research Centre for Lasers and Applications. The Centre flourished, kickstarting many distinguished careers and establishing the University’s reputation as a leading global centre for optics and photonics. Prof Piper’s groundbreaking work in gas lasers, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, and laser applications in medicine and nanotechnology earned him international acclaim together with prestigious awards including the Pawsey Medal, Walter Boas Medal, the Australian Optical Society Medal, the Carnegie Centenary Professorship, an Honorary DSc and Fellowship of the Optical Society of America. Jim was also a passionate mentor, guiding over fifty PhD students into successful careers.

After serving as Dean of the Division of Information and Communication Sciences (1998-2002) he took on the role of Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research (2003-2013) where he is credited with laying the foundations for Macquarie’s emergence as an internationally connected, research-intensive institution. His transformative contributions included doubling the University’s PhD program, attracting more than 100 outstanding researchers from around the world as part of the CORE program, introducing the innovative BTech and Masters of Research degrees, and establishing the Australian Hearing Hub.

He was also an influential figure in national research policy, having served 10 years on the Australian Research Council, played a key role in establishment of the ARC Linkage scheme, led the national DVCs (Research) Committee, and served as President of Science and Technology Australia.

Professor Piper embodied outstanding proficiency in both research and leadership. Yet it is for his character that he is most fondly remembered by successive generations of colleagues and students, many of whom he closely mentored and guided into successful careers. Jim was deeply admired for his generosity, warmth, humility, wisdom, down-to-earth manner, passionate support for students and young researchers, and unwavering commitment to quality and integrity.

His legacy lives on both in the research culture of the institution he helped shape, and the countless lives he touched for the better.