Ken McNaughton: Monash Engineering’s first graduate

L - R: Ken McNaughton | Engraved pewter mug to First Graduate from Faculty of Engineering | Ken’s published thesis 1963 (bound) | 25 Years of Chemical Engineering at Monash University

The start of something new

In early 1962, Ken McNaughton joined Monash University’s newly established Department of Chemical Engineering as a postgraduate student. He was interviewed and admitted by the sole staff member at the time, Dr Charles Sinclair. Ken had just completed his undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering at The University of Melbourne and was eager to pursue further research at Victoria’s second university.

His thesis, titled Dynamic response and residence time distribution of short cylindrical vessels, was submitted in December 1963. He was awarded the Master of Engineering Science (Chemical) on 14 December 1964, making him the first graduate of the Monash Faculty of Engineering. As a token of recognition, he received a pewter mug inscribed to mark the milestone.

Ken co-authored two academic papers with Dr Sinclair, published in Chemical Engineering Science and the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. Though invited to continue toward a PhD, he wanted to explore new horizons.

Shifting paths: from engineering to editing

In 1964, Ken left Australia for London on a Leverhulme Studentship in biochemical engineering at University College. He later moved to New York City where he spent ten years with McGraw-Hill Publications, first as an editor with Chemical Engineering magazine, then as editor-in-chief of Industrial Chemist. His ability to interpret complex scientific ideas for broad audiences made him a natural communicator in technical fields.

He went on to serve thirteen years at the American Institute of Physics. There, he became managing editor of Physics Today and later the founding editor-in-chief and associate publisher of The Industrial Physicist, a publication that bridged science and industry for a global readership.

A voice on air and in print

Between 1974 and 1981, Ken expanded into broadcast media. He wrote, directed, and hosted a range of radio shows in New York, earning five broadcast awards from the Council of Churches of the City of New York and the American Legion Auxiliary. His weekly telephone-talk show, From Head to Heart, explored human experience through a reflective, philosophical lens. More than 100 episodes are preserved in the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia.

An ongoing link to Monash

Though he spent most of his life abroad, Ken maintained a connection with Monash. In 1996 he returned to Clayton to present to the Faculty of Physics Four Characters in Search of a Profession. He attended alumni events in New York and kept in touch with fellow “Monash Pioneers,” speaking with pride about the university’s remarkable growth and rising global reputation.

He remains a passionate informal ambassador for Monash, sharing its story wherever he can. In his own words, those two formative years at Monash were “freeing socially, intellectually, and workwise.”

Living beyond the ordinary

Ken’s journey spans engineering, publishing, broadcasting, philosophy, and performance. He has acted in over 70 film and TV productions, including lead and supporting roles, and worked across the entertainment industry as a SAG-AFTRA member between 2005 and 2018.

What began as an academic pursuit of chemical engineering evolved into a story of inquiry and reinvention. From being Monash Engineering’s first graduate to shaping scientific discourse in the United States, his legacy is not just about being first, but about what one does with that head start. His path demonstrates the importance of openness to new ideas and the readiness to pursue them.