Awards
Agronomy Australia honours significant contributors to the industry through several awards conferred at the Conference including the CM Donald Medal for Agronomy, Fellowships of the Society, Young Agronomists, and, where appropriate, posthumous awards.
C.M. Donald Medal for Agronomy
The Australian Society of Agronomy awards the C.M. Donald Medal, named in honour of Professor Colin Malcolm Donald, to an eminent Australian agriculturalist for a long and distinguished career.
The award recognises contributions in all areas of agronomy including scientific and field research, development and extension.
Donald Orations can be downloaded from the Agronomy Australia Conference Proceedings website.
Read Dr Keating's Donald Oration:
From white pegs to silicon chips: Fifty years (1973-2022) of Australian agronomy
The 2022 Donald Medal was awarded to Dr Brian Keating, formerly CSIRO (1981 – 2020), currently Adjunct Professor at Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), University of Queensland.
Past Recipients of the C.M. Donald Medal for Agronomy
2022 – Adj Prof. Brian Keating 2019 – Dr John Angus 2017 – Prof. Timothy Reeves 2015 – Prof. Graeme Blair 2012 – Dr Brian Dear 2010 – Prof. Peter Cornish 2008 – Prof. Robin Graham 2006 – Dr Bill Bowden 2004 – Dr Tony Fischer 2003 – Prof. David Connor 2001 – Mr R.J. Esdaile 1998 – Dr J.L. Davidson 1996 – Dr A.B. Hearn 1993 – Prof. J.R McWilliam 1992 – Prof. G.L. Wilson 1989 – Dr R.C. Rossiter 1987 – Mr R.J. French 1984 – Prof. F.C. Crofts 1982 – (retrospectively) Dr P.G. Ozanne
Fellowships
In 2012 the Society introduced Fellowships. Winners of the Fellowships will be designated as Fellows of the Australian Society of Agronomy.
The Australian Society of Agronomy awards Fellowships to recognise important contributions to agronomy including laboratory and field research, development, extension, administration and support of the careers of fellow agronomists.
Past Fellows
2021 Fellows Professor Shu Fukai Professor Derrick Moot Professor Victor Sadras 2017 Fellows Dr John Angus Professor James Pratley 2014 Fellows Professor Graeme Blair Professor Walter Stern Professor Ted Wolfe 2019 Fellow Dr Peter Sale 2015 Fellows Mr William (Bill) Long Mr Neville Mendham
Young Agronomist Award
In 2006 the Society introduced a Young Agronomist Award to increase awareness and opportunities for younger members of the profession.
The Young Agronomist Award recognises excellence in research and/or the application of science related to agronomy to an agronomist aged under 36 years. The award is made on the basis of the young agronomist’s contribution to either research, teaching and education, their publication record and relevance of other communications to both the scientific and non-scientific community and previous recognition and awards such as invited papers at conferences and travel awards.
Past Young Agronomist Award Recipients
2022 Dr Corinne Celestina (The University of Melbourne) Dr Bonnie Flohr (CSIRO) 2019 Dr Kenton Porker (SARDI) 2017 Dr Felicity Harris (NSW DPI) Dr Matthew Harrison (UTAS) 2015 Ms Louise Flohr (AgriLink Ag Cons) Mr Rohan Brill (NSW DPI) 2012 Ms Loretta Serafin (NSW DPI) Dr James Hunt (CSIRO) 2010 Lindsay Bell (CSIRO Toowoomba) Graeme Doole (University of WA) 2008 Jason Brand (DPI, Victoria) Barry Haskins (I&I, NSW) 2006 Andrew Whitlock (DPI, Victoria)
I was honoured to be awarded a 2022 Young Agronomist Award by the Australian Society of Agronomy in recognition of my contribution to agricultural research. It is very humbling to be included on the honour roll with the previous award recipients, all of whom are agronomists that I respect and admire. I’m grateful to the many mentors and role models who have guided me in my career so far – this award is also a testament to them, and to the amazing industry that we work in.
I gained foundational experience in research and extension at Southern Farming Systems, before undertaking my PhD at La Trobe University. Since then I have worked at both La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne as a Research Fellow in crop agronomy, working on a range of projects related to cereal physiology and phenology, nitrogen and water productivity, and on-farm decision making. I hope that I can continue to contribute to innovative, evidence-based and industry-relevant research for the Australian grains industry.
The generous travel grant provided by the Society will be used to fund a trip to the XVIII Congress of the European Society of Agronomy in France in August 2024. Much like the Australian conference, the European Society of Agronomy conference is a biennial event designed to ‘promote the exchange of scientific and practical experience between experts in agronomy.’ This is a much-anticipated trip after many COVID-related delays! At the conference I intend to present our recent work on assessing and characterising phenological development in wheat and barley.
Dr Corinne Celestina
Joint Recipient of the Young Agronomist Award, 2022
Posthumous Certificate of Recognition
2019 - Dr Neil Fettell (NSW)