The RACI Polymer Division is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2025 Jim O’Donnell International Travel Award is Carolin Bapp from the University of Newcastle.

Carolin is a PhD candidate working on enzymatic depolymerisation techniques to advance sustainable materials research. Originally from Germany, she holds a B.Sc. in Biomedical Chemistry from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and an M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Vienna. Her master’s thesis focused on the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics, a field she continued to investigate at the University of Queensland before beginning her PhD in September 2024. 

The O’Donnell award will enable Carolin to undergo international travel as part of her PhD studies as well as attending the 39th Australasian Polymer Symposium in December.

Congratulations Carolin!

You can read more about the O’Donnell Award here.