Three Indian-Australians, namely Prof. Veena Sahajwalla, Prof. Sumeet Walia and Dr Arunima Malik, have been awarded Australian Museum’s Eureka Prize in Science 2022.
These prizes are most comprehensive national science awards that honour excellence across the areas of research & innovation, leadership, science engagement, and school science.
Prof. Sumeet Walia of RMIT University is a noted award-winning researcher as a named inventor on ten patents covering multi-sector technological innovations and products. He has been awarded with ‘Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science.’
In a tweet, Prof. Walia said: “Absolute honour for the recognition @eurekaprizes 2022. Brilliant science stories and the people behind them on display.”
Prof. Walia is an entrepreneurial leader whose research is being translated into products that improve lives and promote equity. His ground-breaking projects include artificial vision technologies, smart window coatings, UV exposure skin sensors, and infection prevention platforms. Prof. Walia is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM and conducts public outreach programs in both English and Hindi.
Well-known scientist Prof. Veena Sahajwalla from the University of the New South Wales (UNSW) has been awarded ‘Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.’
In her tweet, she said: “Such an honour last night being named the Australian Museum’s 2022 Eureka Prize winner for Promoting Understanding of Science.”
Prof. Sahajwalla is the pioneering inventor of a new generation of ‘green’ materials and sustainable products. Through her rigorous research and extensive community and industry engagement, Prof. Sahajwalla is shifting the mindset of the nation to see unwanted materials not as waste, but as a valuable resource.
Dr Arunima Malik from the University of Sydney is part of the team that was awrded ‘Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research.’
Dr Malik is Senior Lecturer in the Integrated Sustainability Analysis group. She coordinates and teaches postgraduate units for the Masters of Sustainability program.
Her reserach team from diverse fields such as economics, engineering and nutrition developed advanced data modelling techniques to trace billions of supply chains, linking food producers and consumers. Further, their work highlights the drivers of dietary choice and is informing policy for the United Nations and other international bodies.
Since the prizes were established in 1990, close to 500 Eureka Prizes have been awarded. This year 15 individuals and teams were recognised across categories in the 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
