Chemical engineer Judy Raper awarded Australia Day honour

Chemical engineer Judy Raper awarded Australia Day honour

29th January 2019

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Wollongong, Professor Judy Raper, has been awarded Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia. The appointments are made each year on Australia Day (26 January), and recognise Australian citizens for their outstanding service.

Raper was recognised for her significant service to higher education and engineering. She is well-known in academic world for revolutionising undergraduate engineering programmes at the University of New South Wales where she was Head of the Chemical Engineering Department; and at the University of Sydney where she spent six years as Dean of Engineering.

She was appointed as the University of Wollongong’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) in July 2008. Since then, she has been part of and led three successful bids for federal government EIF capital grants, totalling $135 million.

Raper was also awarded the Ada Lovelace Medal for Outstanding Woman Engineer by the UNSW in November last year and was presented with the Chemeca Medal in 2017, the Australian and New Zealand Federation of Chemical Engineers (ANZFChE) highest honour (pictured).

IChemE’s Australian Director, Peter Slane, said:

“On behalf of the Institution I would like to offer Professor Judy Raper my sincere congratulations.

“She is a chemical engineer who has built a fantastic career and is now a well-respected leader in her field. She’s an inspiration to all of us but particularly young women who are considering a career in engineering. I’m delighted that the Governor-General has formally recognised her outstanding service to engineering education.”

The Order of Australia was established in 1975 by Queen Elizabeth II, in order to recognise Australians for their achievements and service. Prior to the Order of Australia, citizens would receive British honours. New honours are typically awarded on Australia Day and on the Queen's Birthday.

Australia Day is celebrated on 26 January each year and is an opportunity for Australians to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and to acknowledge its history.

Images

Distinguished Professor Suresh Bhargava, Conference Chair and Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (India) for the College of Science, Engineering and Health at RMIT University, presents Professor Judy Raper with the Chemeca Medal at the annual Chemeca conference on 25 July 2017.

Links

Australia Day 2019 Honours List

Contact

For more information please contact:

Tara Wilson, Head of Communications, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534454
e: twilson@icheme.org  

Rachael Fraser, PR and Communications Executive, IChemE
t: +44 (0) 1788 534435
e: rfraser@icheme.org 

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