Of the day

 Gary Thomas (Uni Sunshine Coast) joins the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education’s advisory board.

Of the week

 The American Society for Microbiology announces its 65 2021 Fellows. Three are Australian-based; Alex Andrianopoulos (Uni Melbourne), Brajesh Singh (Western Sydney U) and Timothy Stinear (Uni Melbourne).

Alison Bashford (UNSW) wins the US $1m Dan David Prize (based at Tel Aviv University), which is for interdisciplinary research. Professor Bashford is rewarded for her work on global medicine and public health.

John Brumby (La Trobe U chancellor) is the new chair of the Victorian Government’s International Education Advisory Council. He replaces former Deakin U VC Jane den Hollander.

Courtney Cardow joins Uni Queensland as Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit. She moves from Griffith U where she was senior manager for the GUMURRII Student Success Unit at Griffith University.

Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop (Uni Queensland) wins the C. E. K. Mees Medal from the Optical Society of America.

Rory Medcalf (ANU) joins the Scientific Advisory Council of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Amanda Nettelbeck (Australian Catholic U and Uni Adelaide) receives the ANZ Law and History Society’s 2020 prize for legal history for Indigenous Rights and Colonial Subjecthood (Cambridge UP).

Justine Nolan is the new director of the Australian Human Rights Institute (at UNSW). She replaces inaugural director Louise Chappell.

The Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network establishes a scientific advisory committee. Pascal Perez (Uni Wollongong) is chair.

The South Australian Scientists of the Year are Sharad Kumar (Uni SA) and Colin Raston (Flinders U)

Michael Stuckey joins U Tas as dean of law. He moves from Victoria U, where he was dean of law (and justice).