Swinburne’s Professor Bronwyn Fox awarded prestigious science medal

Swinburne University of Technology’s (Swinburne) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise), Professor Bronwyn Fox, has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research by the Royal Society of Victoria (RSV).

“Professor Fox’s vigorous research output is matched by her industry partnerships and collaborations, the creation of new commercial entities, tangible jobs creation, a willingness and ability to represent her expertise with the media, and the supervision of PhD students,” says President of the RSV, David Zerman.

The RSV convenes Victoria’s science community and is the state’s oldest scientific society. Inaugurated in 1959, this year the RSV Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research was awarded in Category IV – the Physical Sciences. 

The research medal recognises peak research career achievements and outstanding leadership in research by Australian scientists, particularly those conducting work in (or about) the State of Victoria.

“On behalf of Swinburne, I am delighted to congratulate Bronwyn for this exceptional achievement,” says Swinburne Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Pascale Quester.

Leading the way

Professor Fox is an internationally recognised expert on carbon fibre and composite materials and was the Founding Director of Swinburne’s Manufacturing Futures Research Institute.

"This award is an acknowledgement of the ground-breaking and innovative work that Bronwyn is leading, along with other Swinburne researchers,” Professor Quester adds.

“It is a true honour to receive this award and I am humbled and grateful for the recognition. I’d like to express my thanks to the Royal Society of Victoria and the Medal assessment panel for this honour, and to Professor Quester for her unwavering support for science and technology,” says Professor Fox.

Professor Fox has been instrumental in positioning Swinburne at the forefront of manufacturing, building extensively on our Industry 4.0 initiatives and capabilities. She has led a number of significant initiatives and research partnerships through the Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, including: 

• world-first technology focused on space-age materials to revolutionise the aerospace industry 
• establishing the world’s first operational Industry 4.0 Testlab for carbon composite manufacturing 
• collaborating with ARENA 2036, a flexible factory of the future on the University of Stuttgart’s Baden-Wuerttemberg campus 
• leading the development, innovation and commercialisation of graphene, as part of the Graphene Supply Chain CRC-P. 
  

“Bronwyn has made significant contributions to Swinburne and this award is a recognition of that, and the spirit of science, technology and innovation that is at the heart of Swinburne. What’s more, Bronwyn’s achievement shows that it is possible for women to excel and be at the top of their field in the sciences,” Professor Quester adds.

Adding to the recognition, Dr Nisa Salim was also awarded the RSV’s Phillip Law Postdoctoral Award for the Physical Sciences, which is the RSV’s major award for early-career scientists.

“We are delighted that the work of Dr Salim has also been recognised. As a strong STEM woman, this is a wonderful recognition of the next cohort of research leaders at Swinburne and the importance of their work,” Professor Quester says.