Our DVC an ambassador for Tall Poppy Campaign
Published on 06 November, 2009
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Scholarship and Industry) Professor Jennelle Kyd has been appointed as the Tall Poppy Campaign Ambassador for Queensland.
It's full circle for Jennelle, who was herself a Tall Poppy Award Winner in 2003.
Professor Kyd has an international reputation in the field of immunology gained through her major contributions towards the development of vaccines for prevention of bacterial middle ear and respiratory infections and is now undertaking research with the support of multinational companies in the pharmaceutical industry.
She has identified and developed novel proteins as vaccine candidates, has made significant contributions to the understanding of mechanisms of immune protection against these infections and has established a major research team for the pursuit of prevention of infectious diseases.
The Tall Poppy is a metaphor for excellence and endeavour. It symbolises Australia's pride in outstanding achievers.
The Tall Poppy Campaign was created in 1998 by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) to recognise and celebrate Australian intellectual and scientific excellence and to encourage younger Australians to follow in the footsteps of our outstanding achievers.
The Tall Poppy Campaign currently recognises the achievements of Australian scientists through the prestigious annual Young Tall Poppy Science Awards and the biennial Florey Medal.
The Campaign's Tall Poppies Reaching Students Program engages the winners of Young Tall Poppy Science Awards (‘Tall Poppies') in activities to promote study and careers in science among school students and teachers as well as an understanding and appreciation of science in the broader community.
The objectives of the Campaign are to:
- Engage the Australian public in celebrating Australian scientific excellence and recognising its relevance to public policy issues.
- Foster an Australian culture which celebrates high achievers rather than ‘cutting them down'.
- Inspire younger Australians about the possibilities of science.
- Encourage younger Australians to take up tertiary study and careers in the sciences.
- Improve the scientific literacy of the Australian public.
- Encourage innovation and creativity through increased investment by government and industry-driven scientific research and development within Australia.