It’s an honour

10^th June 2008

An eminent public health researcher, a mathematician and an academic working in gifted education are three of the four UNSW staff named on the 2008 Queen’s Birthday honours list.

Emeritus Professor Peter Baume, who is affiliated with the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, has been appointed the country’s greatest civic honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for service advancing higher education as an academic, researcher and administrator, and to the community through leadership roles in organisations addressing significant public health and social policy issues.

Scientia Professor Ian Sloan from the School of Mathematics and Statistics has been made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to education through the study of mathematics, particularly in the field of computational mathematics.

Two academics have been made Members in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM). Professor Miraca Gross, Director of the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) was acknowledged for service to education as an academic, researcher and author through the design and delivery of programs and policies for gifted students and their teachers, to professional development and educational practice.

"It's certainly a tremendous honour and a moving acknowledgement of half a lifetime’s work. It truly is a privilege to work in gifted education and help it move forward both here and overseas,” said Professor Gross. “I hope this award continues to affirm that gifted education is a valid field of research and practice, rather than an educational 'frill' as used to be suggested.”

Senior Lecturer Frances Lovejoy was awarded an AM posthumously for her service to education, particularly in the fields of sociology and women’s studies as an educator, author and mentor.

For more information on the awards and those who won them, visit the website. http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/index.cfm