The Academy’s Fellowship is the heart of our organisation, and we’ve recently announced the new Academy Fellows for 2020. Tackling the under-representation of women in the STEM is an important national priority, so we are pleased to announce that this year, 42% of our 24 new Fellows are women. We warmly congratulate all the new Fellows and we look forward to formally welcoming them later in the year.
In addition, the Academy Council has taken the Panel Pledge to actively encourage women’s voices and visibility and achieve change towards gender equity. Change is a collaborative effort and we encourage all those in STEM to consider how taking the Panel Pledge may have a positive influence on diversity and inclusion across your own networks.
Many of our Fellows are working hard to support Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as are the Academy’s staff and the broader science community. I acknowledge and thank our partners on the Rapid Research Information Forum in particular who are working to provide timely and accurate scientific advice to inform government decision making on a range of COVID-19 related matters. In this month’s newsletter you can read about the recently published advice to government on the impact of COVID-19 on the research workforce and the most promising COVID-19 vaccines and treatments in development.
Sadly, we have bid farewell to Bob May, more formally known as Professor Lord Robert (Bob) McCredie May of Oxford OM AC FAA FRS FTSE FRSN. Australian-born Lord May drove great change in whatever he did and was aptly described by ABC Broadcaster and Academy Fellow Robyn Williams FAA as the Professor of everything and a scientist with a flexible mind and at times bluntly persuasive style who guided Prime Ministers and the public alike. You can read about his extraordinary lifetime contributions in this month’s newsletter. Vale Bob May.
Enjoy the May newsletter,
Anna-Maria
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
