Media Alert
Australian Science, Australia’s
Future
13 October 2009
ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS EMBARGOED
UNTIL 2PM, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14.
From African Big Headed and Yellow Crazy ants,
finding black holes to making a better wireless
computer network – CSIRO honours its best
The CSIRO will tomorrow celebrate the work of some of its staff through the annual CSIRO
Medals awards in Melbourne.
Among the winners are the scientific, commercial and legal teams responsible for the
development of fast, indoor wireless computer networks (WLAN) for portable devices which
is now used in over 800 million devices around the world – and growing.
The research team, with backgrounds mostly unrelated to computing, found a solution to the
’multipath’ problem which was a major obstacle to the development of fast, indoor wireless
networks and had eluded 22 major international research groups.
Another winner is a young scientist who has been looking at how to control the growing
number of invasive ants such as the African Big Headed, Yellow Crazy, Tropical Fire and
Singapore in northern Australia.
Dr Ben Hoffmann has been researching the ecology and management of invasive ants,
especially on Indigenous lands. His science-based approach to invasive ant management
has led to internationally significant eradications of some of the world’s worst ant pests from
regions of outstanding ecological and cultural significance, including areas within Kakadu
National Park, Arnhem Land and the Tiwi Islands.
A Lifetime Achievement Medal will be awarded to Dr Warwick Wilson who has been making
instruments for radioastronomy for over 27 years. In that time he has made instruments so
sensitive they can “hear” radio signals from distant stars and galaxies billions of light years
from Earth.
His instruments have been critical in keeping CSIRO and Australia at the forefront of
radioastronomy and helping other scientists find black holes, starts, pulsars and galaxies
hidden in the depths of the universe.
WHAT: CSIRO Medals ceremony
WHEN: Wednesday October 14, 12.15pm to 3.00pm.
WHERE: Sofitel Melbourne Hotel, 25 Collins Street, Melbourne
The media are invited to attend the awards and interview winners prior to the
ceremony at 11.45am. Please call Huw Morgan, CSIRO Media Liaison on 0417
834 547 for more information.
Further Information:
Huw Morgan, CSIRO Media Liaison
Mb: 0417 834 547
E: huw.morgan@csiro.au
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