Earth & Ocean Sciences award prizes at postgraduate conference

Waikato University’s Department of Earth & Ocean Sciences announced three major prize winners at its 2011 postgraduate conference.

The John McCraw prize for best overall presentation went to Tanya O’Neill. Emeritus Professor John McCraw was the founding chair of Earth Sciences.  Tanya’s presentation covered the recovery of the Antarctic soil environment from impacts of visitors.

The conference has been held annually for more than 20 years and showcases a diverse range of student research.

The Michael Selby Prize for Best Overall Oral paper went to Megan Brink whose topic was Vertical and Lateral Variations in the Ongatiti Ignimbrite, Southeast of Te Kuiti. Emeritus Professor Michael Selby was Waikato University’s first Deputy Vice-Chancellor and a staff member of the department.

Stephanie Lee won the PhD oral prize with her study on heat flow in the Southern Taranaki Basin.

Megan, Tanya and Stephanie each received $500 prizes.

Prize money sponsors are Emeritus Professors McCraw and Selby, Solid Energy, Waikato Regional Council, Newmont Waihi Gold, SCION, NIWA, Geoscience NZ (Waikato Branch) and local businesses Mark T. Mitchell, Consulting Geotechnical Engineers and Tonkin & Taylor.

The best PhD Poster prize of $300 went to Yu-Tuan Huang with Katherine Liu ($200) runner up. The runner up in the best PhD oral paper was Amir Emami who won $250. Judges' special merit awards went to Max Arrowsmith, and Kerri Lannigan. Other winners were Anna Lawless, Josh Mawer, Emma Chibnall and Chris Morcom.