We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to show you personalised advertising. To find out more, read our privacy policy and cookie policy

Skip to Content
University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo. University of Wollongong Australia. Logo.
  • Search
  • Give
  • Library
  • Current Students
  • Staff
  • UOW Global
    • Our global presence
    • UOW in Dubai
    • UOW in Hong Kong
    • UOW in Malaysia
  • Menu
  • Study at UOW

    • Courses
    • Apply
    • Scholarships & grants
    • Accommodation
    • High-school students
    • Non-school leavers
    • Postgraduate students
    • International students
    • Moving to Wollongong
    • Study abroad & exchange
    • Global sport programs
    • Campuses
    Study at UOW
  • Engage

    • Future student
    • Alumni
    • Visit UOW
    • Woolyungah Indigenous Centre
    • Volunteer
    • The Stand Magazine
    • Community Members
    • Grants and funding
    • Give to UOW
    • Visit the Library
    • Key contacts
    • Educators & school teachers
    Engage with us
  • About UOW

    • Welcome
    • Our people
    • Services
    • Contacts
    • What's on
    • Global presence
    • Media Centre
    • Faculties & schools
    • Our vision & strategy
    • Our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Strategy
    • Our reputation & experience
    • Locations, campuses & partners
    See more about UOW
  • Research

    • Our research
    • Researcher support
    • Research impact
    • Partnership & collaboration
    • Graduate Research School
    • Commercial research
    • Global Challenges
    • Media, news & events
    • Find an expert
    • Our people
    See more about research
  • Industry

    • Generator Lab
    • Advantage SME
    • Success stories
    • Industry research engagement
    • Equipment & Labs
    • Funding opportunities
    • Intellectual property
    • Collaboration for business
    • Collaboration for researchers
    • Careers and employability
    See more about Industry
  • Alumni

    • Benefits
    • Outlook Magazine
    • Events & webinars
    • Volunteer
    • Awards
    • Honorary alumni
    • Testamurs & transcripts
    • Update your details
    • Your career journey
    • Contact us & FAQ
    See more about alumni
  • Quick links

    • Contact directory
    • Staff Intranet
    • Campus maps
    • Transport & parking
    • Key dates
    • Events
    • Password management
    • Jobs
    • Accommodation
    • Policy directory
  • Library
You are here More Pages
  • Home
  • About UOW
  • Media Centre
  • 2022
  • UOW researchers honoured for contributions to environmental sciences

Media Quick Links

  • Contact UOW Media
  • Visiting campus
  • Image library
  • UOW key facts
  • Find an expert
  • News Corp subscription
  • Sign up for the latest news from UOW Media

March 10, 2022


  • Story By
  • Genevieve Gatt
Share
Type
Media Release
Category
Science and Technology
Tags
Climate changeWomen in ScienceEnvironmental scienceResearchScienceSDG 13: Climate ActionSDG 15: Life on LandSDG 5: Gender Equality

UOW in the News

UOW researchers honoured for contributions to environmental sciences

Associate Professor Jenny Fisher awarded Anton Hales Medal, Professor Kerrylee Rogers awarded Frederick White Medal


Two University of Wollongong (UOW) scientists have been recognised by the Australian Academy of Science today (Thursday 10 March), receiving prestigious 2022 honorific awards for their outstanding contributions to climate and environmental science.

Associate Professor Jenny Fisher was awarded the Anton Hales Medal 2022 for research into how trace gases such as mercury and other pollutants are transported and distributed through the atmosphere, which informs the management of air pollution as well as climate modelling.

Professor Kerrylee Rogers was awarded the Frederick White Medal 2022 for research showing that coastal wetlands have the capacity to store carbon, protecting natural ecosystems, and helping fight climate change by responding dynamically to sea-level rises.

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Professor Jennifer L Martin congratulated both researchers for their outstanding scientific contributions to environmental research.

“I am thrilled to bits and so proud of these two fabulous UOW researchers. These are prestigious awards and fitting recognition of Professor Rogers and Associate Professor Fisher’s outstanding and impactful research to drive real change, locally and globally,” Professor Martin said.  

“It’s a terrific achievement to see our researchers celebrated on the national stage, especially during this week when we celebrated International Women’s Day.” 

Tracking pollutants

Associate Professor Fisher, an atmospheric chemist in UOW’s Centre for Atmospheric Chemistry and Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health said trace gases, such as mercury and other pollutants, occur in small quantities in the atmosphere, but can have a big impact on our health, climate and environment.

“At its core my research is about understanding the compounds in the atmosphere, and I’m interested in the whole lifecycle of those compounds,” Professor Fisher said.

Understanding the sources, atmospheric movement and fate of trace atmospheric species is crucial for the development of evidence-based policies for the management of air pollution.

Associate Professor Fisher’s complex computer models help us understand what we can't always see, offering fundamental conclusions and predictions about our planet through the management of air pollution and how it interacts with climate change.

Mercury pollution emitted to the atmosphere has led to more mercury in the oceans, ending up in our seafood and leading to chronic health problems. 

Anton Hales Medal — Associate Professor Jenny Fisher from The Australian Academy of Science on Vimeo.

 

Associate Professor Fisher’s work identified that seasonal pulses in atmospheric mercury in the Arctic were driven by the spring thawing of massive Arctic rivers. Now she has turned her attention to understanding mercury pollution in the Southern Hemisphere, including in Australia.

Her models can also track other pollutants, such as the smoke from Sydney's bushfires in 2019.

“Exposure to air pollution is a major public health concern. Globally, more than 4 million people die prematurely each year because of outdoor air pollution,” Associate Professor Fisher said. 

The recognition by the Australian Academy of Science is particularly important to Associate Professor Fisher.

“I feel especially honoured to be one of the few women who have received the Anton Hales Medal award. There are so many amazing women Earth scientists who are role models to the rest of us but aren’t always recognised for their accomplishments. I hope this encourages others to nominate their women and non-binary colleagues for these kinds of awards.”

Protecting Australia’s wetlands

Professor Kerrylee Rogers from UOW’s School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences and co-director of GeoQuEST Research Centre has made an internationally significant contribution to understanding the impact of climate change on one of the world’s most threatened and ecologically important habitats, coastal wetlands.

Mangroves, saltmarsh, swamps, seagrasses and phytoplankton are among the most efficient natural systems in sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Professor Rogers’ work has highlighted the role of coastal wetlands in carbon sequestration, suggesting as sea levels rise, wetlands can help mitigate climate change by trapping sediment and building root systems.

“They pull carbon from the atmosphere into their biomass and push it down underground storing it away for a long period of time and so it contributes to climate regulation,” Professor Rogers said.

 

Frederick White Medal — Professor Kerrylee Rogers from The Australian Academy of Science on Vimeo.

 

Professor Rogers warns that the zone between the lower elevation mangrove and the higher elevation saltmarsh is changing.

“That mangrove encroachment into saltmarsh is really our warning: you need to start planning for this now,” Professor Rogers said.

Professor Rogers has shown that the restoration of coastal wetlands is an effective climate change adaptation strategy that can yield financial benefits to landholders. Carbon captured through wetland restoration can be reported by governments as saved emissions and traded by landholders in emissions trading programs.

“Blue carbon science has advanced considerably in the past few years and the uptake of knowledge is increasing. I like to think that the research we undertook played a role in this,” Professor Rogers said. 

Main picture: Associate Professor Jenny Fisher awarded the Anton Hales Medal 2022, Professor Kerrylee Rogers awarded the Frederick White Medal 2022. Photos supplied. 

Media Assets for this article

  • Images
  • Video

Media Contacts for this article

UOW Media Office

You may also be interested in

New conversations series to explore big questions and new frontiers
World-first ‘MossCam’ and smart sensor system developed by UOW researchers
UOW research receives $1.2 million through ARC Linkage Projects
Services & Help
  • Current students
  • Library
  • Information technology
  • Accommodation
  • Security & safety
  • Pool, gym & retail
News, Media & Events
  • Media Centre
  • The Stand
  • Alumni Magazine
  • Research news
  • Events
  • Find an expert
Faculties
  • Arts, Social Sciences & Humanities
  • Business & Law
  • Engineering & Information Sciences
  • Science, Medicine & Health
Administration
  • Graduation
  • Environment
  • Policy directory
  • Learning and teaching
  • Financial Services
  • Access to information
  • Jobs
UOW Entities
  • Innovation Campus
  • UOW College Australia
  • UOW College Hong Kong
  • UOW in Dubai
  • UOW Global Enterprises
  • UOW Malaysia KDU
  • UOW Pulse
Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Conversation
  • Contact us
  • Feedback
  • Give to UOW

Northfields Ave Wollongong,  NSW 2522  Australia 
Phone: 1300 367 869 
International: +61 2 4221 3218 
Switchboard: +61 2 4221 3555

  • NUW Alliance: Smarter Solutions for NSW
  • University Global Partnership Network (UGPN)
  • Reconciliation Australia
  • AWEI LGBTQ inclusion awards logo

Aboriginal flag Torres Strait Islander flag

On the lands that we study, we walk, and we live, we acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians and cultural knowledge holders of these lands.

Copyright © 2023 University of Wollongong
CRICOS Provider No: 00102E | TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12062 | ABN: 61 060 567 686
Copyright & disclaimer | Privacy & cookie usage | Web Accessibility Statement

Close