Prof Bruce McKellar to head international physics union

Professor McKellar was elected President-Designate at the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) General Assembly in London.

When he takes office in 2014, he will become the union’s first Australian president - and its first president from the Southern Hemisphere.

“I warmly congratulate Professor McKellar on this well-deserved recognition of his contributions to physics and to science internationally,” said the Australian Academy of Science President, Professor Suzanne Cory.

“Professor McKellar is a very distinguished physicist with many awards to his name, including the Academy’s Pawsey medal for outstanding early career physicists and Matthew Flinders Medal for scientific research of the highest standing.”

IUPAP was formed in 1922 to represent physics internationally. Australia became a member in 1925.

The mission of the union is to assist in the worldwide development of physics, to foster international cooperation in physics and to help in the application of physics toward solving problems of concern to humanity.

“Today, more than ever, physics is an international activity, with many of its problems being attacked by international collaborations of physicists,” Professor McKellar said.

“I am honoured to accept this appointment, which recognises the increasingly significant international role of Australian physicists.”

Professor McKellar was elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 1987. He has been its Secretary Physical Sciences, Vice President and Foreign Secretary. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics, the Institute of Physics (UK) and the American Physical Society, and is an Honorary Professorial Fellow of Melbourne University.