Three of our top researchers; Dr Yingjie Yang, Dr Ian Wright and Dr Melanie Bishop have been recognised with prestigious Australian Academy of Science awards.
Dr Yingjie Yang, an early career researcher from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences received an Anton Hales Medal, for distinguished research in the Earth sciences for early to mid-career researchers.
Dr Yang is responsible for a major breakthrough in the treatment and interpretation of seismic data, which has opened up the use of ambient noise signals to decipher structures in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle.
“This award is a demonstration of the reputation of Macquarie research excellence and encourages me to seek continued research excellence and innovation in earth sciences,” said Dr Yang.
Plant ecologist Dr Ian Wright, from the Department of Biological Sciences, received the Fenner Medal, which recognises distinguished research in biology for early to mid-career researchers.
Dr Wright’s work positions him at the intersection of trait ecology, ecophysiology and vegetation modelling, and has gained him international recognition for investigating leaf function in relation to soil nutrients and climate, for the “leaf economic spectrum”, and for networking to translate knowledge to global scale.
“Some of our work has been highly influential within our narrow discipline, but it’s incredibly validating to achieve this new level of recognition, so much more broadly,” said Dr Wright.
Department of Biological Sciences Dr Melanie Bishop is part of a team that received the Thomas Davies Research Fund for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology, to develop indicators of seagrass carbon storage.
“It is gratifying that the importance of coastal vegetation in sequestering and storing carbon has been recognised with the award of this grant,” said Dr Bishop. “The project will help to cement our reputation as a leader in climate change research.”
Academy Council appointment
In recent news, eminent geologist, Professor Sue O’Reilly, was elected to the Academy’s Council where she will represent the physical sciences. Professor O’Reilly commences in her position after the Annual General Meeting in May 2015.