Recognition for Early Career Excellence

Dr W. Alex Donald has been awarded the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Peter W. Alexander Medal for early career excellence in Analytical Chemistry. This award is given out annually to researchers within the first decade of their career, post-qualification.

Professor Paul Francis, Chair of the Analytical and Environmental Division of the RACI, who announced the 2016 Division awards on 18 October, said that the judges unanimously selected Alex for the award.

Along with the Peter W. Alexander Medal, recipients of the Doreen Clark Medal, Environmental Chemistry Medal, and Original Research Publication Award for higher degree research students were also announced. Congratulations to Alex, and the winners from University of South Australia, University of Wollongong, and Western Sydney University for their respective awards.

This award follows on from Alex’s other successes of 2016 – including the RACI Physical Chemistry Division Lectureship; recognition as Emerging Investigator by international chemical journal, The Analyst; and being named a Chief Investigator of the newly established NSW Smart Sensing Network. These are clear signs that his reputation in the scientific community is growing, both nationally and internationally.