The University of Western Australia has a continual roll call of awards, scholarships and prizes presented to staff and students.
To recognise these achievements, an article is published on the UWA news page on the website and in UWA Forward on the first week of every month. If you know of great awards or achievements across the University please email [email protected]
Name: Kate Leeming
Achievement: West Australian adventurer and UWA graduate Dr Kate Leeming OAM has been awarded the Spirit of Adventure at the prestigious 2023 Australian Geographic Society Awards. The awards, which have stood as Australia's longest-running tribute to adventure and conservation, serve as a testament to the extraordinary accomplishments of individuals who have demonstrated unwavering commitment to adventure, conservation, and exploration. Born in the Wheatbelt town of Northam, Dr Leeming is renowned for her extraordinary long-distance cycling expeditions. She has so far cycled almost 100,000km, more than twice the Earth’s circumference, and completed journeys on all seven continents, pushing the boundaries of expedition cycling. This year she completed an expedition in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, and last month, an 8,617km fatbike journey across Australia’s interior from Cape Byron in NSW to Steep Point in WA.
Image: True grit - Dr Kate Leeming struggling up sand dunes on her fatbike near Steep Point in WA.
Name: Lara Herrero
Achievement: Associate Professor Lara Herrero has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for New Innovators. Associate Professor Herrero graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Microbiology in 2002, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2008. Associate Professor Herrero 's research focuses on Ross River virus and other mosquito-transmitted viruses associated with arthritis. In less than 10 years, she translated her research into a world-first drug with potential to treat these diseases in humans with long-term debilitating symptoms.
Name: Parwinder Kaur
Achievement: Associate Professor Parwinder Kaur, from UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, has been announced as this year’s winner of The American Chamber of Commerce in Australia Alliance Award for Biotechnology. The Alliance Awards were inaugurated in 2021 to celebrate the pathfinders in American-Australian trade who are innovators in Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Digital Economy, Energy and Clean Technology, Quantum and Space. Associate Professor Kaur said the award signified the next thrilling chapter of DNA Zoo. “It’s a commitment to continue exploring uncharted territories in the evolution of life and to create a positive impact on our world,” she said.
Congratulations UWA staff, alumni and students.
Photograph at top of page: Dr Kate Leeming takes a break at Queen Maud Land in Antarctica earlier this year.