Recognition for leading Victoria researchers
Two Victoria University of Wellington academics have been recognised for their research excellence with esteemed James Cook Research Fellowships.
Professor Tim Naish, director of Victoria’s Antarctic Research Centre, and Professor Peter Smith from Victoria’s School of Mathematics and Statistics, are among a small group of leading New Zealand scientists to receive a fellowship in 2016.
Administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Government, James Cook Research Fellowships are awarded to researchers who demonstrate that they have achieved national and international recognition in their area of scientific research.
The fellowships allow researchers to concentrate on their chosen research for two years, and are each worth $110,000 annually.
Two of the three fellowships for 2016 were awarded to Victoria.
Professor Tim Naish has been awarded a fellowship to study the contribution of the Antarctic ice sheet to past and future sea-level rise and the implications for New Zealand.
Professor Naish is currently carrying out fieldwork in Antarctica and has been notified of his fellowship in his group’s daily communication with Scott Base.
In 2014 Professor Naish was the first New Zealand recipient of the Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica. This leading global award recognises significant and sustained contribution to Antarctic scientific research and policy. That same year he was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
It was recently announced that a group of mountainous peaks in Antarctica has been named after Professor Naish. The name Naish Peaks was approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa in September 2016, recognising Professor Naish’s highly successful Antarctic scientific career, particularly in the area of paleoclimatology.
Professor Peter Smith has also received a fellowship, which he will use to research millimeter wave communication systems.
“The global demand for mobile data continues to increase, and new developments in millimeter wave bands are being considered to support this increase. Millimeter wave communication is expected to become an integral component of 5G,” says Professor Smith.
“This work will develop performance evaluation methods for millimeter wave, for the design and optimisation of these systems.”
Last year Professor Smith was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers(IEEE)—the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence. Professor Smith is one of seven current IEEE Fellows in New Zealand.