University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia has a continual roll call of awards, scholarships and prizes presented to staff and students.
To recognise these achievements, an article is published on the UWA news page on the website and in UWA Forward on the first week of every month. If you know of great awards or achievements across the University please email [email protected]
Name: Dr Neil Robinson
Achievement: School of Engineering Forrest Fellow Dr Neil Robinson is one of two early-career chemists selected by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) to represent Australia at the 2nd Commonwealth Chemistry Congress to be held in Trinidad and Tobago on 23-25 May. Dr Robinson will join University of Adelaide researcher Dr Isobella Stone in a delegation led by RACI Past President Professor Steven Bottle. The Congress will have a strong focus on early-career chemists across the Commonwealth, with the aim of furthering their career development and providing networking opportunities to share research outputs. Dr Robinson commenced his prestigious Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship in May 2022 and is focused on the design, synthesis, characterisation and application of novel spin conversion materials for applications in hydrogen liquefaction and beyond.
Name: Elham Eshragian-Haakansson
Achievement: UWA Fine Arts MFA graduate Elham Eshragian-Haakansson recently completed a community residency and exhibition with Spaced WA as part of the annual Know Thy Neighbour program. The exhibition took place in the UWA School of Design Cullity Gallery and was accompanied by a live performance and a public program of artist and curator talks. In the same month, Elham also debuted her video work Anvár, an immersive film-poem, exploring the spiritual literature of Baháʼu’lláh, called the Seven Valleys. The creative development of 'Anvár' was supported by Next Wave Kickstart 2022, and the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
Name: Andy Quilty and Erin Coates
Achievement: UWA Fine Arts Lecturer Andy Quilty and Adjunct Senior Lecturer Erin Coates are included in Bread of Bone, an exhibition of drawings about food, showing at Holmes à Court Gallery @ no.10 in Perth before touring to Holmes à Court Vasse Felix Galley later this year. The exhibition focuses on such ideas as food security, differing attitudes toward food, the impact of climate change on food production and supply, and the value of eating locally. Each artist’s perspective on food is explored through the staple technique of drawing, additionally considering thoughts and feelings toward modern interpretations of grinding bones to make bread.
Name: Agatha Okon
Achievement: UWA Fine Arts graduate Agatha Okon received the Schenberg Art Commendation at Hatched 2023: The National Graduate exhibition. Hatched presents a dynamic selection of emerging artists recently graduated from art schools across Australia. The show is the only national graduate exhibition in the country, running for more than 30 years at PICA Perth. The exhibition runs until 23 July.
Name: Gabriella Nel
Achievement: Early in the morning of May 17 Gabriella Nel, a UWA graduate and Joondalup Hospital junior medical doctor, conquered Mt Everest. She became the youngest medical doctor to have reach the mountain peak. Gabriella’s journey up the mountain started on May 12, and she reached the 8,848m peak at 9h35 on May 17, only 9 days after her 25th birthday. She experienced altitude sickness and frostbite on her descent but is recovery well.
Name: Natasha Harrison
Achievement: PhD student Natasha Harrison, from the School of Biological Sciences, collaborated on a project quantifying anti-predator responses in critically endangered woylies that won the 2023 Ecological Impact Award. The woylie is a small, critically endangered macropod once found across much of Australia’s southern and semi-arid zones. Introduced predators such as cats and foxes have driven the woylie close to extinction. The project hopes that an improved understanding of how quickly anti-predator behaviours may be lost and gained, and at what predator densities havened populations can persist, will benefit conservation planning. The project was a collaboration between The University of Western Australia, the University of Melbourne and the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions.
Congratulations UWA staff and students.
Image above: Erin Coates, Andy Quilty, Gabby Nel, Natasha Harrison and Neil Robinson