Tanya Monro appointed to CSIRO board

Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne has announced the five-year appointment of Professor Tanya Monro to the CSIRO board.

Awarded the Bragg Gold Medal for the best Physics PhD in Australia in 1998, Professor Monro has gone on to become a top physicist best known for her work in photonics. She currently serves as the deputy vice chancellor and vice president: research and innovation at the University of South Australia and was recently named in the Australian Chief Scientist’s Knowledge Nation 100 ‘star’ innovators.

“It is important that CSIRO, Australia’s premier science research organisation, has board members who offer the right combination of skills, knowledge and expertise,” Pyne said. “Professor Monro will bring a valuable mix of skills to the CSIRO board with her broad knowledge of innovation.”

Pyne acknowledged Professor Monro’s previous board experience, claiming her membership of “the Commonwealth Science Council and the South Australian Economic Development Board will be of great benefit to her role on the CSIRO board”.

He also praised Professor Monro’s work as an advocate for the power of links between research and industry in support of innovation, saying, “Collaborative initiatives with the university sector and industry helps CSIRO make the most effective contribution to the Australian innovation system. Professor Monro will bring a strong understanding of the value of these collaborations to the board.”

Professor Monro said she was delighted and honoured to take up her appointment to the board.

“From the time I was a schoolgirl, I have known CSIRO as Australia’s engine room of science and innovation,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to making my contribution at a time when science and innovation are very much back on the national agenda and are more important than ever for Australia’s economic growth and the development of future industries.”