7 November 2002 Award for Top Science Communicator

The nation's leading science communicator for 2002 has been acknowledged today (7 Nov.) at a ceremony at Lincoln University.

The NZ Association of Scientists' Science Communicator Award, for scientists who excel in communicating scientific issues of public interest, has been won by Dr Jonathan Hickford, a senior lecturer in Biochemistry at Lincoln University. He is a molecular geneticist, with professional interests in gene sequencing, gene typing, immunology and genetic analysis.

Dr Hickford has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the communication of science over seven years. He is an excellent speaker who can pitch his information to the level and interests of different audiences – from school children to industry groups. In the last 3 years, he was invited to be guest speaker at over 60 public and industry-related meetings.

His involvement with schoolchildren is particularly noteworthy. He loves talking with children and motivating them to become interested in science. He has been Chief Judge at the Canterbury-Westland Science and Technology Fair since 1995 and has judged at the Genesis National Science and Technology Fair for five years.

He has generated an impressive number of articles in the daily press and various periodicals. He has a real gift for putting things in clear, direct and helpful ways. For example, in reference to the use of genetic engineering by New Zealand, he said, "These technologies can deliver good things and bad things; our job is to discover the good"; or "In my own instance, these technologies have underpinned the development of genetic tests for foot rot resistance in sheep". Jon is an advocate for the use of the gene technologies he believes to be beneficial, but he shows respect for public intelligence by providing them with good information to back his opinions.

Dr Hickford's communication efforts, which have gone far beyond the responsibilities of his position, were recently recognised by the Royal Society of New Zealand Council, which has made him a Companion, an honour shared by only 11 other scientists.

The New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science also recognised Dr Hickford's communication skills this year with the award of the Sir Arthur Ward Trophy for significant contributions to communication and extension in agricultural and/or horticultural science.

For further information contact: Dr Jonathan Hickford, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.