30 November 1999 Leading Woman Scientist Among Lincoln Excellence Award Winners

A past winner of New Zealand's top woman in science prize, the Zonta Medal, and recipient of a Royal Society medal for science, has received one of Lincoln University's four 1999 Staff Excellence Awards.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, Associate Professor of Plant Physiology joins Dr Glenn Stewart, Associate Professor of Plant Ecology, in winning a Special Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity. Similar Special Achievement Awards, for Excellence in Teaching, have gone to plant scientist Dr Derrick Moot and financial accounting lecturer Dr Sidney Weil.

This is the 10th such series of awards made by Lincoln to acknowledge research and teaching excellence by staff. The awards were introduced in 1990 when Lincoln became an independent university and they take the form of a citation and cash prize.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth is noted for her outstanding research in plant physiology, plant nutrition, seed production and nutrient cycling. The citation describes her research output as "exceptional". Through publications, conference addresses, seminars, workshops and field days for fellow scientists, farmers and industry professionals she has ensured that the results of her research have benefited producers.

Her recent research has involved collaborative programmes with scientists in Crop and Food Research and AgResearch, at Otago and Massey universities and Nanyang Institute of Technology, Singapore. She has also coordinated herbage seed field trials run by colleagues in the UK, Europe, and North and South America, which with her own work in New Zealand has made major contributions to understanding the nitrogen requirements of herbage seed crops.

In addition to teaching and research duties in the Soil, Plant and Ecological Sciences Division at Lincoln University, Dr Rowarth is seconded for part of her time to the NZ Seed Technology Institute.

She has been a National Council member of the NZ Institute of Agricultural Science since 1994 and was elected President of the Institute this year.

Dr Glenn Stewart specialises in the dynamics of forest ecosystems. International recognition of his contributions to plant ecology has led to invitations as keynote speaker at conferences in Chile, Japan and USA. Recently this recognition saw him elected President of the third Southern Connection Congress and in this role he will preside over an international meeting of some hundreds of ecologists in January at Lincoln University.

Recently he had the distinction, as a biologist, of getting published in the journal Geology with a report on research using tree ages to date movements of the Alpine Fault more accurately than geologists have been able to do.

Dr Stewart has over 50 papers in refereed journals as well as many publications in relevant New Zealand forestry industry publications.

Dr Derrick Moot joined the Lincoln staff in 1995 as a Lecturer in Pastures and quickly showed by his teaching evaluations that he was an excellent teacher. Dr Moot consistently scores highly across the spectrum from sub-degree diploma students to advanced undergraduates showing that he is able to adjust his presentation style to the demands of the varying classes he teaches.

At the graduate level Dr Moot has attracted increasing numbers of students to masters papers in Plant Science and he sets and expects students to meet high standards. As a supervisor at both masterate and doctoral level Dr Moot encourages his students to write up and present their work at both national and international meetings.

He relates the science that he teaches to the real life experiences of his students irrespective of their academic level.

Dr Sidney Weil brings extensive international and multicultural experience to the delivery of financial accounting education to his students. He has a particular research interest in learning, which is reflected in the way he encourages students to be critical, innovative thinkers and to develop the capacity to become lifelong learners.

Dr Weil's citation notes that he treats his students as individuals and recognises their diverse needs and learning styles. He encourages openness and discussions during lectures by pausing frequently and asking students to voice their opinions and/or consider certain issues.

Staff and students hold him in high regard as a teacher who is widely read and intellectually challenging. He approaches learning and teaching in a student oriented manner and his enthusiasm, dedication, visible love of learning and finely tuned communication skills are recognised by his students in their teaching evaluations and letters of appreciation.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand