Dr Seher Ata is an Associate Professor in the School of Minerals and Energy resources Engineering. Prior to joining UNSW, she was a Research Academic at the Centre for Multiphase Processes, the Newcastle University.

Ata has been actively involved in fundamental and applied research into multiphase, specifically froth flotation system. Her work covers all aspects of flotation research, both physical and chemical, from the research and development stage through to the application of research outcomes to the mineral industry, technology transfer, and flotation plant practice. She has been chief investigator on an ARC Centre of Excellence, an ARC Linkage and two ARC Discovery projects, an ARC LIF grant and several industrial projects supported primarily by mineral industry. In 2011, she was elected to the University of Newcastle’s Emerging Research Leadership Program based on her outstanding research outcomes. She is currently editorial board member of Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy Journal and International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, and Member of Standards Australia Committee MN-001-02 (Coal Preparation). She is an active reviewer for competitive national and international grants and several high impact journals. Ata publishes widely and has recently been included in the  world's top 2% of Scientists List  in which is ranked #112 from more than 27,000 researchers  in the area of "Mining and Metallurgy".