CRC for Freshwater Ecology student contending

for Young Water Scientist of the Year Award

at 8th International RiverSymposium

31 August 2005

A postgraduate student from the University of Adelaide will vie for the Young Water Scientist of the Year Award, hosted by Brisbane’s 8th International RiverSymposium, next week.

Amy George has studied the influence of river flow on the regeneration of river red gum and black box trees, in PhD research part-funded by the CRC for Freshwater Ecology and supervised by Associate Professor Keith Walker and Dr Megan Lewis.

As one of four contenders for this year’s award, Amy’s presentation at the symposium will be judged by an independent panel on behalf of the Water Forum Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs).

The Young Water Scientist of the Year Award is run by the Water Forum to highlight excellence in research and communication skills among postgraduates associated with water-focused CRCs.

This year, candidates from the Australian Cotton CRC, the CRC for Freshwater Ecology, the CRC for Catchment Hydrology, and the Coastal CRC are competing. A fifth candidate, from the CRC for Water Quality and Treatment, has withdrawn because of an opportunity to speak in the USA at the same time!

The Water Forum, formed in 1995, is an alliance between coooperative research centres that provide research to solve problems confronting the water industry. The Water Forum is pleased to have been associated with RiverSymposium in 2004 and 2005. This year’s theme for RiverSymposium is ‘water and food security: rivers in a global context’.

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For interview:
Amy George, 0423 119 270
Associate Professor Keith Walker, 08 8303 5595
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BACKGROUND NOTES
The Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme promotes excellence in the development of young scientists with a special blend of characteristics: high-quality science, good communication and original innovative thinking.

To recognise young water scientists who demonstrate these characteristics, the Water Forum CRCs make an award to a Young Water Scientist of the Year. The award highlights the key role CRCs play in training young scientists for the water industry. For previous years of the award see: http://freshwater.canberra.edu.au/waterforum (and click on Young Water Scientist of the Year Award).

RiverSymposium, in Brisbane, 6–9 September 2005, is hosting this year's award. The prize is $2500, with $250 to each runner up. Each finalist will present a paper at the conference session relevant to their work (judges will be in the audience). The outcome will be publicly announced at a plenary ‘award’ session on the final day of the symposium, and the winner will then present a shorter (7–10 minute) version of his or her paper to the assembly and media.

Judging criteria: The following criteria will be used for judging the award:
1) The quality of the student’s scientific research.
2) The personal role that the student has played in developing the original scientific concept and their personal role in the implementation of the project.
3) The quality of the presentation (written and oral).
4) Steps the student has personally taken to communicate their research to potential end users.

Web address for RiverSymposium:
http://www.riversymposium.com/index.php?page=Welcome