Success for Deakin at Geelong Researcher of the Year Awards

Deakin University had a successful night at the 5th Smart Geelong Network Researcher of the Year Awards on August 8th.

The University won eight of 10 awards given out on the night, including the prestigious Researcher of the Year Award.

That was shared by Dr Fred Pfeffer and his Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship holder, Dr Luke Henderson.

They also shared the Biotechnology Research award.

"I didn't expect to receive our first award tonight, "Dr Pfeffer said.

"To be standing here with the main award is an even greater surprise. It is also a great honour.

"I want to thank Luke for the great contribution he has made to our research since joining us from Oxford as an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship."

Dr Henderson, whose work will be featured in this month's No Limits Deakin Research newsletter, thanked the University for the opportunity to link up with Dr Pfeffer via his postdoctoral fellowship.

He was not the only Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship holder honoured on the night.

Dr Fredrick Ochanda was named winner of the Save The Planet award.

"It was a great night for our University," said Alison Hadfield, Director of the Research Services Division at Deakin University.

"To see so many of our people up on the stage receiving these awards justifies the hard work that has been going on at Deakin for more than a decade now to give us a genuine depth of research.

"It is great to be able to have success at the international level, at the national level as we did through Professor Peter Hodgson's recent Australian Laureate Fellow and also within the Geelong research frame work.

"I want to congratulate all the winners. Deakin is very proud of them all."

The full list of Deakin University prize-winners:

• Researcher of the Year: Dr Fred Pfeffer and Dr Luke Henderson.
• Highly Commended, Researcher of the Year: Dr Peter Miller and Dr Darren Palmer.
• Save the Planet Award: Dr Fredrick Ochanda.
• Smart Technology Award: Dr Tong Lin.
• Early Researcher Award: Dr Sugumar Dharmalingam.
• Safer Communities Award: Dr Peter Miller and Dr Darren Palmer.
• Biotechnology Researcher of the Year: Dr Fred Pfeffer and Dr Luke Henderson.
• Teaching and Learning Award: Professor Alister Ward.