Alan Forrest Reid

Alan Reid was Director of the CSIRO Institute of Minerals, Energy and Construction from 1988 to 1997. He was formerly Director of CSIRO’s Institute of Energy and Earth Resources 1984-1987 and Chief of its Division of Mineral Engineering 1982-1984.

He was elected fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (1982) and of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was awarded in 2008 the Ian Wark Medal and Lecture.

Reid achieved international recognition in the areas of complex chemistry relating to mineral processing, the solid state chemistry for solar collector systems and in the statistics and stereology of mineral particle systems.

His research has contributed significantly to Australia’s prosperity through the creation of a solar energy absorber surface, AMCRO, which is widely used in Australia’s solar panel industry, and also in the development of an automated mineral analysis system, QEMSCAN, which has had major financial benefits for mining companies internationally.