Position: Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Waikato.
Field: Inorganic and organic materials chemistry.
Associate Professor Michael Mucalo was initially interested in economics and languages, but in terms of looking ahead for secure employment, he chose to specialise in chemistry while studying at The University of Auckland.
After completing his PhD at the University of Auckland, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the DSIR in Lower Hutt (now IRL) investigating the deposition of ceramic coatings on substrate materials. From there, Michael travelled to Nagoya in Japan to carry out research in bioceramics and calcium phosphate chemistry.
After a very fruitful 2 years of research, study and travel, Michael returned to New Zealand to take up a lectureship in chemistry at the University of Waikato. His main interests are in bioceramics, nanoparticles and controlled-release drug delivery.
Contribution to society
Michael enjoys his role as a senior lecturer in chemistry. “It keeps you stimulated, it keeps you on your toes, there is always something new, there is always a new challenge.”
He believes that there is a great responsibility attached to doing research.
The information you provide – if profound and fundamental enough – will, in the goodness of time, make its way into general reading publications that reach the populace at large. In that way, you have the opportunity to contribute to general knowledge, which ultimately benefits the community.
Useful link
For more infomation see his profile on the University of Waikato website.
This article is based on information current in 2010 and updated in 2018.
