John Barnard Bremner is a self-confessed man of science.
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For more than 50 years the University of Wollongong Emeritus Professor has loved working and doing research in the field of science, particularly organic chemistry and biomolecular science.
As part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List the Balgownie resident was honoured with an AM for significant service in tertiary education, and for biomolecular science.
The award meant a great deal to the 78-year-old.
"I'm really humbled by it. I think it is wonderful that the work of everyone I have ever collaborated with has been recognised," Professor Bremner said.
"There has been an awful lot of work from other people that has been recognised really from this award and I feel really humbled by it and honoured."
Born in Western Australia, Prof Bremner started his career working at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, where he spent 23 years.
He then left to take up a professorship in organic chemistry at the University of Wollongong, where he is coming up on 30 years of service.
"There has been some great things that I've been involved in over all these years that I'm really proud of," he said.
"I was really pleased in setting up a new degree course in medicinal chemistry.
"That was one of the main tasks when I arrived at Wollongong. That course has done really well and there has been a lot of graduates through who also did well, which is very pleasing indeed."
Away from work, Prof Bremner has taken great delight in establishing and leading Living English classes at Corrimal Region Uniting Church.
"The free languages' classes have been great. Helping people learn English and improve their skills to get jobs has been very rewarding," he said.
While Prof Bremner no longer works full-time, being made an Emeritus professor in 2008, affords him the luxury of still working and collaborating with other researchers.
"I'm able to continue working here and they are very generous in providing me an office and connections to the library and things like that," he said.
"I collaborate with at least one group here, as well as with people and other universities.
"This allows me to write scientific papers with those people. I see myself as continuing in that role and trying to help in the development of research through those collaborations.
"Also I just recently completed a book on the design of new types of antibacterial agents which I'm very pleased about.
I was really pleased in setting up a new degree course in medicinal chemistry.
- Professor John Bremner
"I put a lot of research suggestions into that so it would be great if some of those were considered by others in future work.
"I'm just trying to help and stimulate research in that area.
"The book is called Mutiple Action-Based Design Approaches to Antibacterials. It is published by established publishing company Springer Nature Singapore."
Prof Bremner has noticed a lot of change in how universities and researchers who work in universities operate nowadays.
"There has been big changes, particularly in more recent times as new technologies develop.....research develops in different ways and really exciting ways I think," he said.
"I have seen changes in how research is actually done. What hasn't changed is the fundamentals are still there but people are more curious nowadays and like to advance problems and understanding.
"So there has been some real changes in ways that things are done but the fundamentals remain."
Prof Bremner though worried about the long-term effect the COVID-19 pandemic would have on universities.
"The COVID pandemic has really had a major impact on universities," he said.
"I think that's a really big challenge ahead for the universities. I think it is more than we fully realise and it is a really big task ahead and a very important one."
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Agron Latifi
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
Wollongong born and bred. I love reporting about the Illawarra region and have been doing it for more than 20 years. I've moved into sport recently after covering the education round for the last five plus years for the Illawarra Mercury. It's been a great pleasure.
