Meet one of ‘Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers’ Thursday, 25 August 2016

Quick Chat with Stephanie Moroz MIEAust CPEng NER

Stephanie Moroz MIEAust CPEng NER is the CEO of Nano-Nouvelle, which was selected as one of the 2016 Top 50 Tech Pioneers in Australia and New Zealand. Stephanie was recently recognised as one of ‘Australia’s Most Innovative Engineers’ for her work on tin-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

What is your current job title and function?

My title is Chief Executive Officer at Nano-Nouvelle. My function is to make sure all the elements come together in the right flavours and proportions for the company to succeed.

Why are you an engineer?

Where I studied engineering it was called Applied Science. I had always enjoyed maths and science, and creatively applying that knowledge to make changes in the world had a much greater appeal than pure discovery. If science was language, engineering would be literature.

What are you working on now?

I am working on nano-structured three dimensional electrode materials to increase the energy of lithium ion batteries. This means that a battery of the same size will last longer on each charge.

Most challenging or interesting project you’ve ever worked on?

Every role I’ve taken on has been incredibly challenging and interesting from an engineering point of view, while my scope of responsibility has increased each time. Therefore, my current role in bringing together all the aspects of the business is the most challenging, as it requires an understanding of all the non-engineering influences on success. Finance, marketing, human resources, corporate governance, public communications – so many things can make or break the success of the organisation, independent of the actual product engineered.

Any advice for young engineers just starting their career?

Choose every role for the interest you have in it. Do not sell out for a high salary or some other superficial reason. Your time is your most valuable asset in life, so put it towards something you believe in.

What do you see as one of the biggest issues facing the engineering profession?

I have a huge concern for engineers graduating from university with no hands-on skills. The best engineers have a deep understanding of how things work in reality, but over the past decade I’ve seen more and more young graduates who have never used a screwdriver, even mechanical engineers. They believe their computer model provides every answer, and have no feel for how something will be assembled or will function in real life.

Engineers can save the world. Who would you want on your project team with you?

MacGyver, the ultimate problem solver!

What is the greatest piece of technology released in the last decade?

I think blockchain technology has the potential to have a huge impact on areas we don’t even imagine right now, for example people are working on it as a way to manage distributed energy generation, storage and consumption.

If you could take a year off to study anything, what would it be?

Rather than taking a year off, I try to study continuously with one subject at a time. This semester I’m doing my last subject of a Master of Business, so I’m thinking about what to do next – maybe public relations, because I’m realising that no matter how good your idea or invention is, you need to communicate it to those who can benefit from it or else it’s as though it never existed.

For more information and to nominate for 2017, visit: innovativeengineers.com.au.

 

Image: Stephanie Moroz MIEAust CPEng NER. Courtesy of create magazine.