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Two Faculty of Science academics receive awards

25 October 2006

Faculty of Science Dean Professor Rob Norris has congratulated two faculty academics whose contributions to research were recently recognised -- Dr Stuart Batten and Professor Sam Lake.

School of Chemistry lecturer Dr Stuart Batten has been awarded the inaugural Faculty of Science Award for Excellence in Research by Early Career Researchers.

Dr Batten said it was an honour to receive recognition for his research into crystal engineering of coordination polymers and the way molecules assemble in the solid state.

"It is satisfying to know that your work, and that of your team and collaborators, is having the desired impact," he said. "The award is also an important career milestone, and will be invaluable when applying for research funding in the future."

Professor Sam Lake, from the School of Biological Science, was awarded the Gold Medal by the Ecological Society of Australia at the Society's Combined Annual conference in Wellington, New Zealand, last month.

The citation published in the society's bulletin says the award recognises Professor Lake's contribution to freshwater ecology, especially in flowing waters. It notes the work that has helped to build his outstanding reputation -- his published research into natural and human-created disturbances including climate change, freshwater biodiversity and antipodean stream ecology.

Further, it commends his excellence as a teacher and his successful supervision of more than 40 PhD and masters students, who themselves have gone on to make important contributions to the field.

Faculty of Science Dean Professor Rob Norris praised the pair for their achievements.

"Professor Lake and Dr Batten are making important contributions to the faculty and to their respective fields, and I would like to congratulate them on receiving their awards," he said.