Excellence Awards

A highlight of the conference was announcing the recipients of the inaugural Bushfire CRC Awards for Excellence.

It is important that our finest students and researchers are recognised and celebrated and these awards are a new initiative to achieve those aims. Works conducted over the life of the Bushfire CRC by a student and by a researcher were considered. The awards included $10,000 to the honoured researcher and $5000 to the honoured student for research into their field of expertise.

The awards recognised individual excellence in meeting the Bushfire CRC objectives of enhancing:     

• the contribution of long-term scientific and technological research and innovation to Australia's sustainable economic and social development;
• the transfer of research outputs into commercial or other outcomes of economic, environmental or social benefit to Australia;
• the value to Australia of graduate researchers; and
• collaboration among researchers, between researchers and industry or other users,  to improve efficiency in the use of intellectual and other research resources.

Following a call for nominations from all Stakeholders the Bushfire CRC Governing Board decided that the most worthy recepients were: Joshua Whittaker (pictured left, below), for the Student Award and Dr (Lachie) Lachlan McCaw, for the Researcher Award. (Pictured right, receiving his award from Bushfire CRC Chairman Len Foster.)

• As a Bushfire CRC PhD student at RMIT University Josh has not only successfully completed his studies but also contributed to the Program C Bushfire Community Safety book, provided material for input into the Garnaut Report on Climate Change, and played a lead role in the Bushfire CRC research response taskforce following the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.   It is recognised across the Bushfire CRC and the industry that Josh has contributed well above the normal expectations of a student. More on Josh.
  
  
• Dr Lachie McCaw has been a project leader in the Bushfire CRC research team since its inception and during this time has delivered high quality research outcomes in understanding the ecological impact of fire on the landscape.  Whilst Dr McCaw’s work has been principally focussed in south west Western Australia, working with the Department of Environment and Conservation, he has taken on a national role in the broader evidence based decision making in the land management area playing an important role in the completion and evaluation of the work on Project Vesta and is a mentor to emerging researchers in this field.  He was the leader of the fire behaviour component of the Bushfire CRC Research Response Taskforce following the 2009 Victorian bushfires and is a role model for researchers in this industry for now and into the future. More on Lachie's research.