The Royal Society of New Zealand has awarded national research medals to University of Otago academics Prof Hamish Spencer and Prof Tony Ballantyne.
Prof Spencer, of the Otago zoology department, and former director of the Allan Wilson Centre, received the Callaghan Medal at an honours dinner in Christchurch last night.
The award was for ''bringing ecological science into the marae and community''.
Prof Ballantyne, an historian and Otago humanities pro-vice-chancellor, was awarded the society's Humanities Aronui Medal for reshaping scholarly thought on British imperial history.
Prof Spencer was ''absolutely delighted'' at the award, but it was ''really a recognition for the work of the whole AWC team, as well as our iwi partners''.
Prof Ballantyne was also delighted with his medal, and said he had been ''exceptionally lucky to have been taught and mentored by some outstanding historians''.
OTHER AWARDS
Royal Society: Rutherford Medal, Emeritus Prof Michael Corballis; Pickering Medal, Associate Prof Iain Anderson; MacDiarmid Medal, Prof Merryn Tawhai; Hector Medal, Associate Prof Stephane Coen; Mason Durie Medal, Distinguished Prof Viviane Robinson; Dame Joan Metge Medal, Prof Stewart McNaughton; Jones Medal, Emeritus Prof Alastair Scott, all Auckland University; Hutton Medal, Prof Wendy Nelson, of NIWA and Auckland University; T.K. Sidey Medal, Prof Rick Millane, Canterbury University; Sir Charles Hercus Medal, Prof Richard Beasley, Medical Research Institute of New Zealand and Capital & Coast District Health Board; Thomson Medal, Dr Bruce Campbell of Plant and Food.
Health Research Council: Liley Medal jointly to Prof Mike Berridge, of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, and Dr Paul Young, of Capital & Coast District Health Board and Medical Research Institute of New Zealand; Beaven Medal, Distinguished Prof Jane Harding, Auckland University.
