Flinders Centre for NanoScale Science and Technology, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.

Joe Shapter obtained his Ph. D. from the University of Toronto in 1990. From 1990 to 1996, he worked at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario) building a scanning tunnelling microscope and lecturing first year chemistry. In 1996 he moved to Flinders and is now Professor of Nanotechnology and Dean of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences. Prof. Shapter led the establishment of and is now course coordinator for the Flinders Bachelor of Science Degree in Nanotechnology (2000-2003, 2007-present). This was the first degree of its kind in the world. He was the founding Director of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) funded Centre of Expertise in Energetic Materials (CEEM) and is currently the Director of the South Australian node of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility (AMMRF).