2022 winners and commendations
The 2022 Professional, Research and Teaching Excellence Awards were announced at a joint awards ceremony on Tuesday 9 November. The event was a celebration of our people, their knowledge, passion and impact on the local, regional and global community.
Congratulations to all nominees for the outstanding contributions you have made.
We are delighted to announce the Research Excellence Award winners and commendations for 2022.
Research Excellence
Winner of the 2022 Research Excellence Award is Professor Kerry McCallum.
Kerry, Director of the News and Media Research Centre, has made an outstanding contribution through her research leadership, mentoring, supervision and particularly through her socially impactful research funded by ARC, government and industry.
Kerry is the Chief Investigator on ARC Discovery project ‘Breaking Silences: Media and the Child Abuse Royal Commission’, which is the first major Australian research to explore the nexus between media and commissions of inquiry in the digital era. This year, Kerry has led the conversation of this project into applied social change through commissioned work to develop best-practice, evidence-based media guidelines for both journalists and victim-survivors and their communities.
Recognised as a leader in the fields of communication and media studies nationally and internationally, Kerry’s research epitomises the University’s aim of making a difference by conducting mission-oriented research that contributes to public good.
Early Career Researcher Excellence
The winner of the 2022 Early Career Researcher Excellence Award is Dr Jonathan Pickering.
A high performing researcher and teaching academic, Jonathan works as an Assistant Prof in the Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, as well as being associated with the faculty’s world-leading Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance. He is a highly productive researcher and continues to publish in Q1 journals, won the Clay Morgan Award for Best Book in Environmental Political Theory in 2020, is highly networked internationally and is a major contributor to the work of the faculty, and his citation rates exceed those of some senior professors in his field.
In addition to Jonathan’s impact in his discipline as a researcher, he is a dedicated and generous supervisor and mentor to many PhD candidates at UC.
Distinction in Engagement and Impact
The winner of the 2022 Distinction in Engagement and Impact Award is Dr Sam Kosari and team in the Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, which includes Sam Kosari, Mark Naunton, Rachel Davey, Jane Koerner, Michael Dale, Ibrahim Haider and Miranda Batten.
Sam and the team in the Health Research Institute piloted the first on-site pharmacist study in residential ages care facilities in 2017 in collaboration with Goodwin Aged Care Group. The Department of Health funded a trail and implementation study in 2019-22, resulting in improved overall quality of medication management for residents. Findings from the research have informed major changes to government policy in 2022, and the Government has announced $345.7 million in funding to implement the model nationally into residential aged care, commencing in Jan 2023.
Congratulations to Sam and the team for this significant contribution to aged care outcomes.
Excellence in Supervision of Higher Degree by Research Students
The winner of the 2022 Excellence in Supervision of Higher Degree by Research Students Award is Dr Eleni Petraki.
Eleni’s HDR students noted her passion for supervision, and that she considers it a privilege and a responsibility of all researchers to introduce new students into the academic research culture of the organisation. She encourages her students to present and publish, often co-presenting and co-publishing, to support their development, build their confidence, and provide an opportunity to network with academics in their field.
She actively contributes to policy discussions on supervision and on HDR matters, supporting the improvement of the HDR experience. She is committed to improving her own supervision practice, and acts as a role model for continued professional development and lifelong learning.
In addition to these few points, Eleni’s students detailed many ways in which she supports them through their HDR journey and beyond. Well done Eleni and thank you for your contribution to excellent supervision at UC.
We received some outstanding nominees for this award, and have identified, in addition to a winner, two supervisors who deserve a commendation; Dr Andrew Flood and Professor Fiona Dyer (pictured below).
Outstanding Team Achievement in Research or Innovation
The winner of the 2022 Outstanding Team Achievement in Research or Innovation Award is the UC RISE DST Human Performance Network, which includes, Richard Keegan, Ben Rattray, Kristy Martin, Andrew Flood, David Pyne, Julien Periard, Andrew McKune, Joshue Adie, Joe Northey, Amanda Scott, Keely McDicken and Simon Summers.
Working successfully over a 6-year period, the team has generated excellent outcomes for both UC and the Defence Science Technology Group, which are benefitting the Australian Defence Force and partners.
The Network focuses on the contribution of human factors in supporting defence capability and examines the potential of combining cognitive and physical training, with project outcomes already being implemented across America, Canada and the UK.
Core team members have developed significant skills as researchers and collaborators, responding to industry needs and engaging with industry in fruitful and sustained relationships, which embodies the spirit and purpose of research at UC.
The ceremony was MC'ed by Damith Herath and Mara Eversons, and the Research Excellence Awards were presented by Professor Lucy Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise.The award winners in the five Research Excellence Award categories will be finalists for the 2022 Vice-Chancellors Researcher of the Year Award.
