Left to right: Sudha Cowsik (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Tej P Singh (AIIMS), Frances Separovic FAA, and NR Jagannathan (AIIMS)

Professor Frances Separovic FAA was awarded a visiting professorship at Jawaharlal Nehru University and has recently returned from a trip to New Delhi, India.

Left to right: Andrew Cole, John Swan, Derek Denton, Leo Clarebrough

The Academy sends warm congratulations to the following Fellows who celebrated their 90th birthdays this quarter: Professor Andrew Cole FAA — 21 April 1924 Professor John Swan AO FAA FTSE — 24 April 1924 Professor Derek Denton AC FAA FRS — 27 May 1924 Dr Leo Clarebrough AOM FAA — 14 June 1924

Professor Mike Smith with the winner and finalists of last year’s Prize, at the National Museum of Australia

The Academy received a record response from Fellows to its readership survey, sent out in March, regarding Historical Records of Australian Science (HRAS). The purpose of the survey was to help support the Academy’s Executive Committee in its decision making about future publishing options for HRAS.

This year’s Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank, to be held in Brisbane on 23‒25 July, will investigate the topic of climate change and health.

The Think Tank steering committee, co-chaired by Professor Bruce Armstrong AM FAA and Dr Graeme Pearman AM FAA FTSE, has carefully selected 60 high flying early- and mid-career researchers from Australia and New Zealand. The participants come from a range of disciplines including epidemiology, human geography, clinical and public health, statistical modelling, evolutionary ecology and systems theory.

New website

Primary Connections launched a new website in late February with many new features including assessment advice, online event registration and much more. Feedback from teachers has been very positive and more than 3000 have already registered in our member centre as part of the Primary Connections community.

Zapping possums and gourmet ice cream

What has zapping a possum on a highwire got to do with physics? What is the connection between industrial chemistry and fig and caramel ice cream?

Left to right: Jacqueline Hancox (GDE, secondary science pre-service teacher), Noelene Weatherby-Fell (Coordinator Education Programs, UOW Shoalhaven campus) and Melanie Hybinett (GDE, secondary science pre-service teacher)

Congratulations to Ms Jacqueline Hancox, a pre-service teacher from Nowra NSW, who was our 10 000th registration since the launch of Science by Doing’s website last year.

Left to right: Jacqueline Hancox (GDE, secondary science pre-service teacher), Noelene Weatherby-Fell (Coordinator Education Programs, UOW Shoalhaven campus) and Melanie Hybinett (GDE, secondary science pre-service teacher)

Congratulations to Ms Jacqueline Hancox, a pre-service teacher from Nowra NSW, who was our 10 000th registration since the launch of Science by Doing’s website last year.

IAP and IAC review the future of science

Former Foreign Secretary and now Academy President, Professor Andrew Holmes AM PresAA FRS FTSE, attended the joint Executive Committee meeting of the IAP: the global network of science academies (IAP) and the InterAcademy Council (IAC) hosted by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, in Rome, 15‒16 May. The meeting discussed science strategic planning, poverty eradication, science education, initiatives on ‘smart villages’, science diplomacy, and future statements and policy reports.

© 2025 Australian Academy of Science

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