Birthday honour for Deputy VC

Honours

The University of Adelaide's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Alan Johnson, was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in last month's Queen's Birthday Honours.

Professor Johnson's inclusion in the Queen's Birthday Honours was "for service to science in the field of molecular parasitology, to scientific research and education, and as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Parasitology".

University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor, Professor James McWha, said: "I would like to congratulate Professor Johnson for this richly deserved award. Before he came to the University of Adelaide, Professor Johnson had played a significant role in strategic planning for the national research effort within the Australian Research Council (ARC), among numerous other achievements. He has already made an outstanding contribution to science and is helping the University maintain its position as a leading research-intensive university."

Professor Johnson became Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide in February this year. Before that he was Executive Director, Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, at the ARC from January 2003.

Before his appointment to the ARC, Professor Johnson was a Chief Hospital Scientist at the Flinders University Medical Centre, Director of a Key University Research Strength and Chair of the Academic Board at the University of Technology in Sydney, Editor-in-Chief of the Australian Biologist and International Journal for Parasitology.

Professor Johnson was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in 1985 and the Bancroft Mackerras medal in 1989.

He has the rare distinction of being elected "Ehrenmitglied" by the German Society for Parasitology - the first time the honour was made to a non-German.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology, the Australian Society for Parasitology and the Australian Institute of Biology.

Story by Robyn Mills