Twenty years of analytical science has paid off for a Griffith University professor as he is awarded the 2011 Lloyd Smythe Medal for Analytical Chemistry.
The prestigious medal, awarded by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute(RACI), is for excellence in pure or applied scientific work in Australia that involves substantial analytical chemistry and for service to analytical chemistry in Australia over the prior 15 years.
Associate Professor Peter Teasdale, a senior researcher with Griffith’s Environmental Futures Centre, has dedicated himself to analysing coastal environments and understanding the effects of pollutants such as heavy metals and nutrients on the environment.
“My most interesting work at Griffith and probably my biggest achievement has involved the development of a technique to better understand sediment types and
characteristics,” he said.
“This technique very accurately measures pollutant patterns within these sediments, with the research helping to develop better ways
of managing our important coastal waters.”
Associate Professor Teasdale said he owed his award in part, to the many students he has supervised during their environmental science degree programs, as well as to his close collaboration with other Griffith academics.
“It is a tremendous honour to receive this medal. My students have really motivated me in my work and have helped me to achieve this accolade,” he said.
“It’s been brilliant to see so many of them go on and forge successful careers in
science following their time at Griffith.”
Ensuring the quality of treated wastewater discharged into our rivers and oceans
is another of Associate Professor Teasdale’s key interests.