Michael Schwager started yesterday as director general of IP Australia. He joins from CSIRO where he was acting COO from June to September. Prior to that he was COO of what was then the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science for three years.
The Forrest Research Foundation (as in Andrew and Nicola) has appointed three international postdocs to WA universities. Chong Wei, will study the effect of underwater noise on marine animals at Curtin U. Alfred Tiley will examine star-forming galaxies at UWA. Marcus Korb will also work at UWA, on inorganic chemistry.
The entire state leadership of the Victorian branch of the National Tertiary Education Union has been elected unopposed, with support from both candidate groups in the recent campaign. Nicholas Kimberley (Monash U) is state president, Christian Haesemeyer (UniMelbourne) is VP academic and Catherine Rojas (Swinburne U) is VP professional staff. With 13 candidates for the 15 division executive positions everybody won.
Monash University has promoted one of its own to be senior vice provost and VP research. Rebekha Brown is now director of the university’s Sustainable Development Institute.
Astronomer Dick Manchester is awarded the Australian Academy of Science’s Matthew Flinders Medal for research in physical science. The former CSIRO scientist is a pioneer in pulsar research and radio astronomy instrumentation.
Minoti Apte from UNSW receives the 2018 distinguished researcher medal prize from the Gastroenterological Society of Australia.
David Norman is the inaugural CEO of the Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre. He previously ran its predecessor, the Energy Pipelines CRC, which will exhaust its public funding in June.
Wai-Hong Tham from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute has won the David Syme Research Prize for her work toward a malaria vaccine.
Jeremy Davey from the University of the Sunshine Coast will lead the Sunshine Coast Road Safety Research Collaboration, a joint venture between the university and the Queensland Motor Accident Insurance Commission.
Fred Watson is Australia’s first Astronomer at Large. His brief is to “promote Australia’s world-leading astronomy and astrophysics capabilities to audiences here and overseas.”
The University of South Australia announces Richard Irons is the new director of Student and Academic Services. Mr Irons is now academic registrar at the University of Derby in the UK.
The Academy of Social Sciences in Australia has named three winners of the Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Researchers; Renee Zahnow (University of Queensland), Emma Hutchinson (University of Queensland) and Tamsyn van Rheenen (University of Queensland).
Kerry Wilkinson from the University of Adelaide is the new deputy editor of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology‘s journal. Associate Professor Wilson, with colleagues, created UniAdelaide’s edX MOOC, World of Wine (CMM November 11 2015)
The International Federation of French Teachers has announced winners of the first Asia-Pacific Francophone song competition, for university students. The winner is Veruschka Pestano, who studies at Macquarie U, for her performance of ballad, “Encore un Soir”. Runner-up is Emily McCormick from UoQ.
Justin Beilby, VC of Torrens University has joined the board of the Council of Private Higher Education.