Two internationally renowned scientists have been elected to the Australian Academy of Science as Corresponding Members.
Professor C.N.R. Rao and Professor Jill Banfield formally accepted their invitation to join the Academy's Fellowship last week and join a small group of Corresponding Members—all of whom are leading international researchers and science advocates with strong links with Australia.
Professor Rao is one of the foremost world leaders in the area of solid state and materials chemistry and is currently National Research Professor and President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore, India. He is a member of many of the major science academies in the world and has received Honorary Doctorates from 63 universities. Professor Rao is an undisputed leader of science in India and has been a driving force for India–Australia cooperation in science.
Professor Banfield is an earth scientist at the University of California (Berkeley) and is distinguished for her research involving the study of microbial communities, the interactions between microorganisms and minerals, and the structure properties and reactivity of nanomaterials, microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. She was elected to membership of the National Academy of Science, USA, in 2006 and has won numerous awards including the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Earth and Environmental Science. Professor Banfield conducts research in Australia and South Africa as well as in the USA.
The Academy's New Fellows for 2015 will be publicly announced at its annual flagship event, Science at the Shine Dome, in May.
New Corresponding Members Professor Jill Banfield (left) and Professor C.N.R. Rao.
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
