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This year marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of Dallis Hardwick, a remarkable UNSW science alum whose groundbreaking research on nickel-based superalloys continues to shape aerospace innovation. Her work, now further developed by and the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), plays a critical role in next-generation US launch systems.

Dallis Hardwick, born on June 26, 1950, to Francis and June Hardwick, showed an early passion for science and academic excellence. She was dux of Matraville Public School in 1961 before attending Sydney Girls High, where she excelled in science and won the Level 1 Physics Prize in fifth form. Determined to study Physics for the HSC in 1967, she attended classes at a neighbouring boys' school and largely taught herself, as the subject was unavailable at her own school.

Dallis went on to graduate with Honours in Metallurgy from UNSW in 1972 and earned a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue a PhD. In 1977, she became one of the first women to earn a PhD from UNSW’s School of Metallurgy, with a dissertation on the oxidation and corrosion properties of iron-aluminium-carbon alloys. This research laid the foundation for her pioneering career in the US rocket industry. Dallis was a trailblazer in materials science and an inspiration to women pursuing science, particularly within the School of Materials Science and Engineering.

Facing limited opportunities for women with her specialisation in Australia, Dallis embarked on an international research path based in the US. She began with a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University, exploring archaeometallurgy; the study of ancient metal production and use, including the processes, technologies, and cultural practices associated with metalworking in past societies. Dallis then moved to Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied hydrogen interactions in aluminium alloys for aerospace applications. This work led her to Martin Marietta Research Laboratories, where she contributed to materials used in the Space Shuttle’s external tank.

In 1982, Dallis married Pat Martin, and they both joined Los Alamos National Laboratory. After becoming a US citizen in 1985, she developed a deeper understanding of the degradation of nuclear weapons in storage. During this time, she also began her long association with The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society (TMS), serving three terms on its board of directors.

As the Cold War wound down, Dallis transitioned to Rockwell Science Centre in California, where she advanced the understanding of metal combustion in high-pressure oxygen environments. Her collaboration with research assistant Monica Jacinto resulted in the development of patented alloys, known as Mondaloy, which remain essential to modern rocket technology.

Her later career included roles at Boeing in Seattle and the AFRL in Ohio. By 2005, she was leading all materials research for advanced gas turbine engines, earning the prestigious Meritorious Civilian Service Medal in 2010. That same year, she became the first woman to receive the TMS Structural Materials Division Distinguished Service Award.

A respected global speaker and US Air Force representative on the five-country co-operative panel managing Materials Technology, Dallis’ influence extended across aerospace, defence, and academia. She retired from civil service in 2012 following a diagnosis of stage four metastatic breast cancer. However, she continued mentoring through the AFRL Emeritus Program, leaving an enduring legacy of guidance and inspiration.

Dallis Hardwick passed away on January 5, 2014. She is remembered not only as a pioneering metallurgist with significant technical achievements but also as a mentor who generously fostered the next generation of scientists and engineers. 

Monica Jacinto reflected, "She helped grow another generation of leaders who, hopefully, will turn around and do the same so that her contributions will continue to multiply in enormous numbers. I hope she understood that my accomplishments and successes are, in large part, due to her. Thank you, Dallis, for always being a bright and shining light along my journey."