Celebrating the achievements of science students

2020 Western Australia Premier's Science Awards
News

2 min read

• Sept. 30, 2020
ExxonMobil Australia has again supported the West Australian (WA) Premier’s Science Awards in 2020, recognising the efforts of young scientists with the ExxonMobil Australia Student Scientists of the Year award.

The 2020 winners were announced at an awards ceremony in September, which was also live-streamed due to local social-distancing measures.

Award recipients exemplify the outstanding scientific research and engagement taking place in the state. The awards cover all fields of science, including natural, medical, applied and technological science, engineering and mathematics.

This year, there were joint-winners in the ExxonMobil Student Scientist of the Year award category. Their awards were presented by ExxonMobil Australia LNG General Manager John McCann.
 
“As an organisation, ExxonMobil Australia has always been focused on supporting students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
 
“The quality of all the 2020 finalists – and the outstanding winners – reflect the extraordinary science talent in WA and we are proud to have again had the opportunity to support the Premier’s Science Awards,” he said.
 
WA Premier Mark McGowan said the COVID-19 pandemic has made us all aware of the role science plays in our day-to-day lives.
 
"I would like to congratulate this year's finalists on their outstanding scientific achievements and the contributions they're making to foster an innovative STEM culture in Western Australia."
 
For more information on the awards, visit the Premier’s Science Awards website.

Meet the 2020 ExxonMobil Student Scientists of the Year

 

Todd Bond – The University of Western Australia

Mr Todd Bond is a PhD researcher at The University of Western Australia investigating how fish and fisheries interact with oil and gas subsea pipelines. He works alongside oil and gas operators to help them understand how their decisions on the fate of pipelines when they are no longer needed might impact animals and fisheries that utilise these structures.

This work has taken Mr Bond around the globe, and facilitated collaboration with scientists in the United Kingdom, Asia and the United States. Mr Bond calls on almost a decade of  research experience using underwater video techniques to survey fish - skills that he shares with students and scientists around the globe.

Morgan Cox - Curtin University

Morgan Cox is a PhD candidate and planetary geologist from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Ms Cox’s research seeks to uncover the evolution of the Earth and planetary bodies through identifying evidence of asteroid impacts in the geological record. Ms Cox has published multiple high impact papers, such as the discovery of the ultra-rare mineral ‘reidite’ near Shark Bay and confirming ‘Yallalie’ as the newest impact structure discovered in Western Australia. She has been instrumental in developing close ties with NASA, from which she has published work on the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact in Mexico. 

Ms Cox is an extremely passionate ambassador for planetary science in Western Australia, as she strongly believes that communicating science within the community is just as important as conducting the science.