In 2004 he was appointed a member of the Order of Australia for services to chemical engineering as a researcher and academic, and to tertiary education.
[7] Wainwright began a teaching career as a tutor demonstrator while being a part-time graduate student at SAIT (1967–1969),[8] and McMaster University.
[9] Once a doctor in 1974, he became a faculty member at the University of New South Wales, where he remained continuously until his retirement from the institution in 2006.
His career at UNSW included successive positions as lecturer in industrial chemistry at the School of Chemical Technology (1977–1980), associate professor (1981–1988), professor/departmental head of chemical engineering (1989–1991), dean of the faculty of engineering (1991–2000), pro-vice-chancellor (1998–2000), deputy vice chancellor, vice chancellor, and president (2004–2006).
[12] As an institutional leader, he chaired of the National Computational Infrastructure Advisory Board from 2007 to 2015.