Professor Richard Haverkamp
Position: Professor Emeritus, Nanotechnology, School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University
Field: Nanotechnology
Richard Haverkamp was a Professor of Nanotechnology in the School of Food and Advanced Technology at Massey University, Palmerston North. In his retirement he continues to supervise students and work on research as a 'Professor Emeritus'. The title of Professor Emeritus or Emerita is a special honor given to professors when they retire. It means they’ve made a significant contribution to their field, and they've made their university a better place through their teaching and research.
The focus of his research is on nanotechnology applied to soft and hard materials.
Prof Richard Haverkamp
Prof Richard Haverkamp with an atomic force microscope.
Becoming a nanotechnologist involved a fascinating journey for Richard. At school, he was interested in physics, mathematics and chemistry, but he had no particular career goal in mind. He studied chemistry at university, but at this stage there was no thought of doing nanoscience – he’d never heard of it. Richard went on to work in industry as a chemical engineer.
Career highlights have been the interaction with scientists and engineers around the world, the development of a new understanding of nature, the invention of new devices and the creation of new intellectual models to describe and predict real processes.
Michael Faraday and nanotechnology
An introduction to how the famous 19th century scientist Michael Faraday made an early step towards nanoscience.
Select here to view video transcript and copyright information.
After about ten years, Richard returned to university and obtained a PhD. He realised that a career in university was just the thing for him. It was creative and stimulating, with a huge amount of independence – a bit like being your own boss. Over time, Richard found himself spending more and more time studying single molecules and nanoscale particles. Unintentionally, he had morphed from a chemical engineer into a nanotechnologist.
What is nanotechnology?
Prof Richard Haverkamp describes how nanotechnology means different things to different people.
When you meet Richard, you can tell that he finds his research fun. “I love what I do, it’s much better than having a job,” he quips. Research and teaching are obviously valuable contributions to science, but looking at how things work at the nanoscale has also helped make the world a more interesting place for Richard.
Richard worked as a researcher for the Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI) National Science challenge. Alongside other researchers Richard he looked into the potential of using animal collagen as a support for damaged structures within the human body while they’re under natural repair.
Related content
The articles Electrocatalysts for future fuels and Gold nanoparticles from plants detail Richard and his team's investigations.
Useful links
In 2023 Richard retired and was named a Professor Emeritus by Massey University. Professor Haverkamp intends to continue his collaborations with Massey through supervising student research, training staff in the use of the atomic force microscopy, assisting Massey Ventures in commercialising a medical device he has invented and further project collaborations within his network.
Read this interview Five minutes with Richard Haverkamp on the Engineering New Zealand website.
Discover more about Richard's work for the Science for Technological Innovation National Science challenge.
This article is based on information current in 2008 and 2021.
