WRL on Catalyst (ABC Television)
The Water Research Laboratory’s Professor Ian Acworth and Anna Greve were interviewed by the ABC’s Catalyst to dicuss the research being done by WRL towards irrigation and soil crack dynamics.
A/Prof Ron Cox awarded Engineering Australia’s prestigious Sir John Holland Award for Civil Engineer of the Year 2008
A/Prof Ron Cox from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been awarded Engineering Australia’s prestigious Sir John Holland Award for Civil Engineer of the Year 2008 in recognition of his long standing and continuing contribution to the profession and community, particularly in the field of coastal engineering.
Ron has been associated with UNSW’s Water Research Laboratory since 1973 and held senior positions for more than half of his 34 years at the laboratory. He was Director from 1993 to 2006 and for many years before that was the Projects Manager. As a practicing coastal engineer, as a leader of Australia’s foremost coastal engineering organisation, and as an inspirational academic, Ron has led research, investigation and design teams for projects in every state and territory in Australia and many others around the world.
During his time on Engineers Australia’s National Committee on Coastal Engineering -including his four years as President- Ron Cox was involved in developing coastal engineering response to climate change (probably the first Australian engineering organisation to take this issue seriously) co-authoring several important Engineers Australia publications such as Guidelines for Working with the Coast in an Ecologically Sustainable Way, and Guidelines for Responding to the Effects of Climate Change in Coastal and Ocean Engineering.
He has been in high level communication with governments and industries in USA, Canada, Europe, North Asia, South-East Asia, the Middle East and South Africa.
Since early in his career Ron has understood the need to use the media in promulgating good engineering practice and to publicise causes such as the necessity for sound environmental practice in coastal engineering, and climate change issues. Not just with the media but also with his thousands of students, his academic peers, national and international government representatives and at every community consultation meeting, Ron’s arguments are clear, concise, comprehensive and convincing.
A/Prof Cox is currently the Director of Academic, Marketing & Finance for the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering where he continues to teach and pursue his research interests and to support the engineering profession.
