The Royal Society of NSW is delighted to learn of the recognition of two of its Fellows and one of its Distinguished Fellows as new Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science, elected in May 2021. They are Professor Sue Coppersmith FRSN FAA and Professor Hala Zreiqat AM FRSN FAA FTSE FAHMS who were elected as Fellows of the Academy, and Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart FRS DistFRSN FAA who was elected as a Corresponding Member of the Academy. As Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science, they are among Australia’s most distinguished scientists, elected by their peers for ground-breaking research.
The Academy citation for Professor Susan Coppersmith, of the School of Physics at UNSW (Sydney) recognises her outstanding contributions to several subjects in condensed matter, focusing on the fundamental nature of systems that are far from thermal equilibrium. She has developed theories unifying phenomena that are observed in areas as diverse as population biology, biomineralization, granular materials, and superfluidity. Working closely with experimentalists, she has also made important contributions to the development of quantum dot qubits in silicon/silicon-germanium heterostructures.
The Academy citation for Professor Hala Zreiqat of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sydney notes that she has made significant contributions to biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and translational orthopaedic research. She introduced advanced cell, molecular biology and nanoscience approaches to the biomaterials field. Her team invented new bioceramics with outstanding strength and biological properties for the regeneration of large bone defects. She has developed innovative technologies for 3D-printing these ceramics, enabling carefully controlled fabrication of complex structures with precisely defined shape, porosity, architecture and surface topography. These achievements are leading to the development of novel orthopaedic implants, including the world’s first synthetic material for healing large bone defects under load, enabling personalised approaches to the repair and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues.
The Academy citation for Sir Fraser Stoddart, as a Corresponding Member of the Academy, notes that he is a 2016 joint Nobel Laureate in chemistry and one of the few chemists during the past 35 years to have created a new field of chemistry: mechanostereochemistry. He pioneered the development of techniques now employed as molecular switches in the fabrication of molecular electronic devices and in the design and synthesis of artificial molecular machines. Corresponding Membership is a special category within the Fellowship, comprising eminent international scientists with strong ties to Australia who have made outstanding contributions to science. As of 2021, there are 34 Corresponding Members of the Academy.
The Council of the Royal Society of NSW extends its warmest congratulations to Professor Coppersmith, Professor Zreiqat, and Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart on this recognition of their outstanding scientific achievements.