Sever Sternhell

Sever Sternhell
Born	(1930-05-30) 30 May 1930 Lwow, Poland
Nationality	Australian
Education	Newington College University of Sydney University of London Imperial College
Occupation	Organic chemist
Title	Emeritus Professor
Spouse	Alicja (née Zalcberg 1932–1991)
Parent(s)	Maria (née Wachs) and Samson Sternhell

Severyn Marcel "Sever" Sternhell (born 30 May 1930) is a Polish Jewish born Australian academic and organic chemist. He has been professor of Chemistry at the University of Sydney, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. His current research is on the induction of chirality into mesophases, aspects of steric hindrance and the mechanochemistry of organic compounds.

Early life and education

Sternhell was born in Lwow, then in Poland but now in western Ukraine. His father was Samson Sternhell, a lawyer. Before the war he attended a Zionist Hebrew language primary school for five years. Having survived the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, he emigrated to Australia with his parents to join members of the Sternhell family who had left Europe prior to World War II. Arriving in Sydney in February 1947, he enrolled as a boarder at Newington College a few days after the commencement of the first term. Having had no formal education since primary school, and only learnt English recently in Palestine, he spent the next nine months studying for the Leaving Certificate. He sat for his exams and received fours As and a B in English. Following Newington he attended the University of Sydney and graduated with a BSc (hons) in 1951 and a MSc in 1953. In 1961 he was awarded a PhD and DIC from the University of London. After further study in London he received a DSc from Imperial College.

Research and university career

He began his career as a research chemist in private industry with Monsanto in 1953. Two years later he was appointed a senior research officer at CSIRO and remained in that position until 1964. Sternhell was a senior lecturer in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the University of Sydney, from 1964 until 1967. He spent a further ten years as a reader in organic chemistry at the University of Sydney before being appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry. He has been an Emeritus Professor since 1999. In 1991–92 he was chairman of the Australian Research Council Chemical Sciences Panel.

Fellowships and honours

Sternhell is a Fellow, of the Australian Academy of Science and of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. In 2001, he was awarded the Centenary Medal for his service to Australian society and science in organic chemistry and molecular engineering.