Professor Robert Kearney, PhD DSc, AM (Chairman)

Bob Kearney is Emeritus Professor of Fisheries at the University of Canberra. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the World Fish Center and member of the Boards of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. His recent research projects include modelling Australia's fisheries production and consumption to 2050 and beyond, reducing conflict between recreational and commercial fishers and developing realistic approaches to the use of marine protected areas for conservation and fisheries management purposes.

Dr Barry K Filshie BSc, PhD (Executive Secretary)

Barry Filshie has been the Executive Secretary of the Research Committee of the Foundation since 1998. Before his retirement from full-time employment in 1995 he was the head of CSIRO’s corporate international relations group for 12 years and before that a research scientist with CSIRO’s Division of Entomology for about 20 years, where he headed up the Electron Microscopy Unit.

Professor Pauline Ladiges MSc PhD Dip Ed FAA AO

Professor Ladiges is the Head of the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne. She has a wide interest in the diversity and evolution of the Australian flora and is best known for her research work on the phylogeny and biogeography of the eucalypts. She has published more than 120 scientific papers, is an elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and recipient of the Royal Society of Victoria’s Research Medal for 2005. She has co-authored and co-edited three award-winning biology textbooks for Australian secondary and tertiary education.

Dr Max Whitten BA BSc PhD FAA FTSE AM

Max Whitten is Adjunct Professor, Dept of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland.  He was formerly Chief of CSIRO Entomology and Professor of Genetics at University of Melbourne. His research interests centred around genetic means of controlling insect pests and the ecological genetics of pesticide resistance.  His wider interests have been in public good research, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. He has served as Visitor for a number of Cooperative Research Centres and chaired the Advisory Board for the Special Research Centre on Environmental Stress and Adaption at the University of Melbourne. Since retiring from CSIRO in 1996, Max has worked with FAO helping governments and farmers in Asia reduce dependency on pesticides. He is helping Australian beekeepers and pollination dependent industries restructure to cope with new pests and diseases.

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Associate Professor Andrew Vizard BVSc (Hons) MVPM

Andrew Vizard is Associate Professor of Veterinary Science and Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne and is a senior consultant and former Director of the Mackinnon Project, which specialises in agricultural research, education and extension. He is also an experienced company director, having served on the board of numerous listed companies, statutory bodies, and scientific organisations. Andrew is currently a board member of Animal Health Australia, a director of the ASX listed Ridley Corporation and a trustee of the Australian Wool Education Trust.

Professor Chris Dickman, BSc, PhD, FRZS

Chris Dickman is Professor in Ecology at the University of Sydney, and Director of the University’s Institute of Wildlife Research. He has long been fascinated with the processes that influence the distributions, abundances and diversity of terrestrial vertebrates, and has written more than 230 scientific papers and book chapters on this topic. Chris is an advocate for best practice in conservation and management, and was Chair of the NSW Scientific Committee for seven years. He is also committed to postgraduate education, and has supervised more than 100 Honours, Masters and PhD students over the last 20 years.