Three Australian Academy of Science Fellows elected to Royal Society

Three Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science have been elected to the Royal Society of London, the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Professor Brian Schmidt, Professor Hugh O’Neill and Dr Trevor McDougall are among 44 scientists elected to the Royal Society in 2012.

Australian Academy of Science President Professor Suzanne Cory warmly congratulated them on their election.

“To be honoured and recognised by one of the world’s most prestigious scientific academies is a signal achievement,” Professor Cory said. “I know I speak for all of their Australian colleagues in science when I offer them my warmest congratulations.”

The 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, cosmologist Brian Schmidt from the Australian National University, was elected for his discovery of the accelerating expansion of our universe.

Hugh O’Neill, also from Australian National University, was elected for his fundamental contributions to the study of mineral equilibria and their application to understanding planetary processes.

University of New South Wales researcher Trevor McDougall was elected for his research on oceanic mixing and its role in climate models.

The three scientists join about 1350 Fellows of the Royal Society.