Maria Skyllas-Kazacos

Maria Skyllas-Kazacos (born 1951) is a renowned Australian chemical engineer celebrated for pioneering the vanadium redox battery, developed in the 1980s at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Born in Kalymnos, Greece, she moved to Australia in 1954. She earned a degree in industrial chemistry from UNSW with first-class honors and the University Medal in 1974, followed by a PhD in electrochemistry of molten salts in 1978.

After her PhD, Skyllas-Kazacos worked at Bell Laboratories in the U.S., researching solar energy, thin-film deposition, and battery technology. She discovered soluble lead(IV) ions in lead-acid batteries, published her findings, and won the Bloom-Gutmann Prize for her work. Returning to Australia, she became a Queen Elizabeth II Fellow at UNSW's School of Physics in 1982 and was appointed professor of chemical engineering and industrial chemistry at age 31.

In 1984, Skyllas-Kazacos and her team began exploring vanadium compounds and flow cells, leading to the development and 1986 patent of the vanadium redox battery. This invention provided a significant alternative energy storage solution.

She has received numerous awards, including the Member of the Order of Australia in 1999 for contributions to science and technology. Other recognitions include the Whiffen Medal, CHEMECA Medal, R.K. Murphy Medal, and Castner Medal. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Skyllas-Kazacos married Michael Kazacos in 1976, and they have three children. Now an emeritus professor at UNSW, her work continues to influence energy storage technology.