Prof elected Fellow of Royal Society

Jonathan Waters.
Jonathan Waters.
Prof Jonathan Waters, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Otago zoology department, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Prof Waters was ''an outstanding mid-career evolutionary biologist'', society officials said in a statement.

Prof Waters was working at the interface of the ''previously distinct fields'' of genetics and geology; marine ecology and oceanography; and ancient DNA and archaeology.

He had received international media attention for his ancient DNA research highlighting several extinction events in New Zealand's coastal prehistoric record, and his marine biological research on southern hemisphere ecosystems and climate change, the society said.

Prof Waters said he was ''very honoured'' by the award.

''It really reflects the work of a whole group of wonderful colleagues and postgraduate students in the zoology department - and across the university - people who played a huge part in the work that has been recognised here,'' he said in an interview.

It was ''quite special'' that work done by several young researchers in his group had been recognised in this way by the Royal Society, a body representing New Zealand's ''whole community of scholars'', he said.

The award also gave his research group ''a lot confidence'' about the future.

''We feel we are still only scratching the surface. We are only just starting to come to grips with understanding New Zealand's unique biodiversity and its history,'' he said.

Also elected a fellow of the society this week was Prof Richard Beasley, who is an adjunct professor at Otago University's Wellington campus.

The fellowship citation described him as ''an internationally recognised academic'' whose research had had a ''major impact'' on clinical practice, mainly in respiratory medicine, in this country and overseas.

He is also the director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, an independent medical research organisation.

The other 10 new fellows are: Prof Grant Covic, Prof Alexei Drummond, Prof Thomas Lumley, Prof Keith Petrie, Prof Nicolas Smith, all University of Auckland; Prof Edward Gane, New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit/Auckland University; Associate Prof Janet Wilmshurst, Landcare Research/Auckland University; Prof Jennifer Hay, Canterbury University; Prof Colleen Ward, Victoria University of Wellington; Prof Keith Cameron, Lincoln University. Honorary fellow: Prof Jeffry Simpson, University of Minnesota.

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