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NSW SCIENTISTS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS
2 May 2007

Three scientists from the University of Sydney will receive national recognition for their research in front of a host of eminent Australian scientists in Canberra this week.

The scientists will receive their medals tomorrow as part of the Australian Academy of Science’s annual three-day celebration of science and scientific research, Science at the Shine Dome. This public event is a highpoint in the Australian science calendar and has attracted almost 350 science-professional delegates to Canberra.

Professor Hans Freeman will receive the Craig Medal for his pioneering work in crystallography which led to his laboratory being the first in the southern hemisphere to determine the crystal structure of a protein, plastocyanin — essential for photosynthesis.

Professor Eugene Seneta will receive the Hannan Medal for his research in probability and statistics, and for developing the algorithm for scaling NSW Higher School Certificate marks and determining the Tertiary Entrance Rank.

Professor Ben Eggleton will receive the Pawsey Medal for his research in optical device physics and photonics, which is crucial to the development of the next generation of communication technologies.

Academy President Professor Kurt Lambeck congratulated the award recipients saying: ‘The future of Australian science is in good hands with such outstanding talent amongst our researchers.

‘These prestigious awards offered by the Academy acknowledge excellence in scientific research and are part of ensuring that scientists gain recognition for their work.

‘Science provides many positive benefits and it is important to recognise the scientists who work hard so that we can benefit in our daily lives.’

Note for news editors

• A full list of award recipients and information about their research is at: http://www.science.org.au/awards/2007awards.htm

• The full program for Science at the Shine Dome is available at: http://www.science.org.au/sats2007/index.htm

• A professional photographer will be covering the event if you need images