Jim McLennan recognised for research leadership and mentoring

Professor Jim McLennan of La Trobe University has been presented with the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre’s Special Recognition Award for the high quality of his research leadership and his mentoring of new researchers.

The award was presented at the AFAC-Bushfire CRC annual conference in Sydney, starting 29 August 2011.

 Professor McLennan is Adjunct Professor in the university’s School of Psychological Sciences and has specialised in bushfire decision-making and community survival.

Bushfire CRC Chief Executive Office Gary Morgan said the award recognised Professor McLennan’s longstanding work with the Bushfire CRC, particularly the leadership role he took with community research interviews after the February 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria and the January and February 2011 fires near Perth.

 “Jim showed significant leadership in setting up the procedures for the community interviews that produced much valuable research following these fires,” Mr Morgan said.

 “He acted as a mentor for the new researchers in Perth, showing them how to undertake the interviews that led to our report this month on what residents of the Perth Hills suburbs affected by the fires understood about bushfire safety.”