The ATSE Awards 2024
Alan Duffy
One of the coolest ways I get to support my sector of science, technology, and innovation is to help assist those events that celebrate the pioneers and exemplars of our field - and they don’t get any bigger than the night of nights for Australian innovators and technologists with the incredible Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering's ATSE Awards 2024. So it was truly wonderful to be allowed to host the evening (and also see honoured colleagues I have been privileged also to call my friend for over a decade!)
We were honoured to have opening remarks from the Minister for Science and Industry The Hon Ed Husic MP; the Minister for Climate Action, Energy & Resources, The SEC Victorian Government The Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP; the CEO of CSIRO Doug Hilton AO, and VP of the World Farmers' Organisation (amongst *many* other astonishing roles) Fiona Simson.
The entire event (and indeed ATSE's success representing the thousands of members) with the leadership of its President Dr Katherine Woodthorpe AO FTSE FAICD and CEO Kylie Walker (officially a legend). It was a pleasure to share the stage with such luminaries as the MC for the evening..!
However the true stars of the gala were the award finalists and recipients... and so my immense congratulations to Andrew Blakers, Dr Fiona Walsh and Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, Sara Couperthwaite, Brendan Hung , Kristy DiGiacomo, Vivien (Viv) Rolland, and without any hint of bias particularly immense congratulations to my Swinburne University of Technology colleague Dr Scott Menegon for winnng the Batterham medal for engineering excellence, and my old sci-comm touring buddy the singularly wonderful Prof Lyn Beazley for her incredibly deserved recognition with the ATSE Presidents Award for her decades of tireless service and success raising STEM engagement, education, and outcomes across Australia. Best of all, she didn't know she was there as a winner - the photos do a wonderful job of capturing that joyous moment.
Speaking of which, my thanks to SALTY DINGO for the outstanding photos (including the snap of all of us Swinburne attendees!) and the entire ATSE team (superbly led by Edwyn Shiell and Kelly Fong) that made such a night as memorable as the incredible attendees deserved.
