The University of Queensland has recognised seven of its most inspiring research higher degree supervisors.
Four $10,000 awards for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision were presented at Customs House on September 22.
Held as part of UQ’s annual Research Week celebrations, the ceremony saw an additional three supervisors receive commendations.
The dean of the UQ Graduate School, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, congratulated the winners and said academic and research staff were the real drivers of the strong research training culture for which UQ was renowned.
“It takes a particular set of highly developed skills to successfully inspire and lead people through the exacting demands of independent, higher-level research,” Professor Skrbis said.
“We at UQ value these skills very highly, and work hard to identify the practices, methodologies and styles that are most effective in attracting researchers to UQ, and then helping them to successfully complete their research.”
The 2010 Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision winners were:
- Associate Professor Melissa Brown, a molecular biologist, Deputy Head of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, and Deputy Director (Research) at the UQ Diamantina Institute. She has supervised seven research higher degree students to completion at UQ since 2001, and is now supervising another six.
- Professor Ian Godwin, a plant geneticist in the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences. He has supervised 24 PhD and eight MPhil students at UQ since 1990.
- Professor Ottmar Lipp, a psychologist and Australian Research Council Fellow whose research bridges the areas of biological, clinical and social psychology. He has supervised 19 UQ research higher degree students since 1994 and is currently supervising nine.
- Professor Zhiguo Yuan, a control engineer and Deputy Director of the Advanced Water Management Centre. Since 1998, he has supervised 19 research higher degree students to completion at UQ and is currently supervising eight.
The commendation winners were:
- Professor Louise Hickson is an audiologist and Head of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Professor Hickson has supervised 19 research higher degree students to completion at UQ; eight are currently under her supervision.
- Associate Professor Andrew Bradley is a biomedical engineer and Postgraduate Coordinator in UQ's School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. He has supervised four research higher degree students to completion at UQ; eight are under his supervision now.
- Dr Noel Scott, a senior lecturer in the School of Tourism, won an Early Career Advisor Commendation for Excellence in Research Higher Degree Supervision. He has supervised eight PhD students to completion at UQ since 2004 and he is currently supervising five.
Also presented at the ceremony were 11 Foundation Research Excellence Awards, this year worth a record total of $910,000.
The prizes — a highlight of UQ Research Week 2010 —recognise outstanding performance and leadership potential among early-to-mid-career researchers.
Media: Fiona Cameron (07 3346 7086, f.cameron2@uq.edu.au) or Penny Robinson at UQ Communications (07 3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au)
