Home > Media releases > 2001

SCIENCE ACADEMY ELECTS 16 MEMBERS FROM AUSTRALIA'S BEST SCIENTISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS
26 March 2001

Sixteen of Australia’s leading scientists were today honoured by election to the Australian Academy of Science.

There are only 316 Fellows of the Academy at present with, from this year, sixteen new Fellows elected each year (previously twelve). Election to the Fellowship recognises a career that has significantly advanced the world’s store of scientific knowledge. The new Fellows come from the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania,Victoria, and Western Australia. They are:-

Professor Allan Canty, 55, Head, Department of Chemistry, University of Tasmania
Telephone: (03) 6226 2162; e-mail: Allan.Canty@utas.edu.au
Field: Organometalic chemistry

Professor Robert Clark, 48, Professor of Experimental Physics, University of New South Wales
Telephone: (02) 9385 4574; e-mail: r.clark@unsw.edu.au
Field: Nuclear orientation – magnetic resonance

Professor Andrew Cockburn, 47, Dean of Science, Division of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University
Telephone: (02) 6125 2866; e-mail: Andrew.Cockburn@anu.edu.au
Field: Behavioural ecology and evolutionary theory

Professor Max Coltheart, 62, Professor of Psychology, Macquarie University
Telephone: (02) 9850 8086; e-mail: max@maccs.mq.edu.au
Field: Cognitive neuropsychology – dyslexia; disorders of memory and language

Professor Alan Cowman, 47, Head, Infection and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne
Telephone: (03) 9345 2446; e-mail: cowman@wehi.edu.au
Field: Human Malaria

Professor Maxwell Crossley, 51, Professor of Chemistry (Organic Chemistry), University of Sydney
Telephone: (02) 9351 2751; e-mail: m.crossley@chem.usyd.edu.au
Field: Porphyrin chemistry and molecular engineering

Professor Ross Griffiths, 47, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Group, Australian National University
Telephone: (02) 6125 0711; e-mail: Ross.Griffiths@anu.edu.au
Field: Fluid dynamics – ocean modelling, volcanology and convection of the Earth's interior

Dr Patrick Holt, 55, Deputy Director and Head, Division of Cell Biology, TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth
Telephone: (08) 9340 8592; e-mail: patrick@ichr.uwa.edu.au
Field: Immunity in the airways – asthma, allergic reactions

Professor Terence Hughes, 46, Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville
Telephone: (07) 4781 4222/4823; e-mail: terry.hughes@jcu.edu.au
Field: Marine biology and coral reef ecology

Professor Paul McCormick, 60, Professor of Materials Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Australia
Telephone: (08) 9380 3122; e-mail: pgm@mech.uwa.edu.au
Field: Materials science; industrial innovation; solar energy studies

Professor Yiu-Wing Mai, 55, Director, Centre for Advanced Materials Technology, University of Sydney
Telephone: (02) 9351 2290/2341; e-mail: mai@mech.eng.usyd.edu.au
Field: Fracture behaviour of a broad range of advanced engineering materials

Professor Ian Ritchie, 65, Director, A J Parker CRC for Hydrometallurgy, Murdoch University
Telephone: (08) 9360 2552; e-mail: hydrocrc@central. murdoch.edu.au
Field: Oxidation of metals – most recently, the mechanism of gold dissolution in cyanide solutions

Professor Sarah (Sally) Smith, 59, Director, Centre for Plant Root Symbioses, University of Adelaide
Telephone: (08) 8303 7210; mobile: 0419 824 494; e-mail: sally.smith@adelaide.edu.au
Field: Symbiosis between plants and fungi

Professor Terence Speed, 58, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne
e-mail: terry@stat.Berkeley.edu
Field: Statistics and genetics

Dr Richard Williamson, 53, Plant Cell Biology Group, Australian National University
Telephone: (02) 6125 5087; e-mail: williamson@rsbs.anu.edu.au
Field: Motility in plant cells – characterised the gene that synthesises cellulose

Professor Robert Williamson, 61, Director, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Victoria
Telephone: (03) 8341 6200; e-mail: williamb@cryptic.rch.unimelb.edu.au
Field: Human genetics – Alzheimer's disease, myotonic dystrophy

The Australian Academy of Science is a private organisation comprising Australia’s leading research scientists. It recognises research excellence, advises government, sponsors scientific conferences, publishes scientific books and journals, conducts international relations and fosters science education and public awareness of science and technology.