Media Release

May 20 2009

Honours flow for UniSA’s Laureate Professor Ralston

Laureate Professor John Ralston awarded the Clunies Ross Medal UniSA's first Laureate Professor and former South Australian of the Year, John Ralston, AO, may now be one of Australia’s most honoured physical chemists.

Today he was awarded the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Clunies Ross Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the country, acknowledging not only pure research but its capacity to make a difference in the world.

The award recognises his long career in particle physics and colloid science as they apply to one of Australia’s most important industries, mining and minerals production, his research leadership and his important role in forging a fruitful nexus between research and industry.

UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said that there are few people who have made such a significant impact in both the research community and in supporting vast improvements and cost benefits across an industry sector.

“Laureate Professor Ralston combines the heart of a true researcher – the curiosity and drive to make important discoveries - and the head of a visionary. He is someone who can imagine the future and lead change,” said Professor Høj.

“His contribution as both a leader and researcher has been significant and the impact of his work has been felt nationally and internationally by industry.

“His research has improved mineral recovery, made mineral processing practices more efficient, minimised the use of reagents in removing unwanted minerals, and improved the efficiency of coating and dispersion technologies and solvent extractions.

“These improvements translate to hundreds of millions of dollars for industry and huge benefits to the environment in water and energy savings.

“We are proud of his career, delighted by his achievements and privileged to have him as a leader in the UniSA research community.”

In a stellar career, Laureate Professor Ralston was made a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 1993 and awarded the RK Murphy Medal in industrial chemistry/chemical science engineering in 1995.

In 2002 he was made an Honorary Doctor of the Abo Akademi in Finland and the following year was awarded an Australian Government Centenary Medal.

In 2005 he was named the AE Alexander Memorial Lecturer of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and was made a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science - a year later being elected to its Council.

At the same time he was leading a successful bid to establish the Australian Minerals Science Research Institute (AMSRI) comprising a consortium of world class Australian university research centres and a global network of 24 collaborators. The bid was supported by Australia’s largest ever Australian Research Council Linkage grant, with a cash value of more than $22 million and a goal to support innovations that improve energy efficiency, frugal water use, waste management and minerals processing technologies, and develop better and new materials.

In 2006 he was awarded the South Australian Premier’s Science Excellence Award in research leadership and the Chemeca Medal for Outstanding Service and Contribution to Chemical Engineering, and named by the Australian Mining Magazine as the inaugural winner of the Most Outstanding Contribution to Mining award.

In 2007 he was honoured in his home state as South Australian Scientist of the Year and South Australian of the Year.

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