SKA astronomers shine at WA Science Awards

The Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, has congratulated Australian astronomer Professor Peter Quinn on being named WA Scientist of the Year.

Perth-based Professor Quinn, founding director of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), was awarded the $50,000 prize at the 2012 WA Science Awards ceremony.

“I congratulate Professor Quinn for this well-deserved achievement. The award recognises Professor Quinn’s long-term contribution to astronomy and Australian science,” Senator Evans said.

Along with his research on galaxy formation and dark matter, Professor Quinn was a leading figure in the successful bid that saw Australia named joint host of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope.

“The SKA will be the world’s fastest and most capable radio telescope,” Senator Evans said.

“Through his work on the SKA project, Professor Quinn has helped ensure Australia remains a leading player in radio astronomy for generations to come.”

The $2.5 billion SKA telescope is a major international science collaboration that will begin operation in 2020. It will allow astronomers to survey tens of millions of distant galaxies, gathering new data that is expected to provide answers to age-old questions about the universe.

ICRAR received further accolades at the 2012 WA Science Awards with ICRAR Deputy Director Professor Steven Tingay named as the inaugural Science Ambassador of the Year.

Professor Tingay, director of the Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy, was awarded for his key role in communicating the significance of radio astronomy and the SKA project to the Western Australian public and to national and international general and science communities.

Professor Tingay is also director of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), the international collaborative project creating a groundbreaking low-frequency radio telescope on the path to the SKA.

He said bringing the $50m MWA to completion in WA was a major achievement, ready to embark on its exploration of the universe in early 2013.

The MWA is the only low-frequency precursor for the SKA and the first SKA precursor to be operational for science.

“It has been an honour to lead the team that has delivered this important project for WA and it will be a major stepping stone into the SKA era. The SKA could be a game changer for megascience in WA over the coming decades,” Professor Tingay said.

“My current work, and that of colleagues in ICRAR, is focused on delivering the SKA for WA, with scientific, social and economic benefits for the state and the nation. This award gives these efforts a real boost.”

Professor Tingay has also inspired young Indigenous people to consider careers in science- and technology-related fields, as co-instigator of Ilgarijiri - things belonging to the sky, an art-meets-astronomy project.

Professor Graeme Wright, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Development at Curtin, spoke highly of Professor Tingay’s achievement.

“Communicating the world’s biggest radio astronomy project to the community is no easy feat, yet Professor Tingay has done this, creating many opportunities to engage young people and demonstrating that careers in science are diverse, challenging, enjoyable and highly relevant to modern society,” he said.

The WA Science Awards are a state government initiative rewarding excellence across science research, engagement and education, and promoting the importance of science and innovation in the state.