The 2020 Science Student Awards - Celebrating Academic Excellence

The 2020 Science Student Awards will recognise students from the School of Science who have achieved outstanding grades while making a positive contribution to the University through promotion of their program to a wider audience.

RMIT has a proven success when it comes to our approach to education. Our reputation reflects our focus on ensuring our students are ready for life and work.

Therefore, our programs adhere to – and are informed by – industry best practice and demand. Our programs are also multidisciplinary and experiential, while the courses taught within each program encourage students to be problem-solvers and team players.

This year we are proud to highlight some of the outstanding students from all disciplines within the School of Science.

Award

Year

Winner

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Award 

Awarded to the student with the highest Grade Point Average score by year

First year Rhiannon Leigh Fettes
Second year Isabelle Magnin-Bougma
Final year Tony Lyi

Chemistry Award

Awarded to highest achieving first year bachelor student

First year Hoang Long Pham

ROWE Scientific Chemistry Scholarship

Awarded to the most outstanding student in the School of Science in third year of a degree majoring in Chemistry             

Third year Christian Nicholas James Manos

Roy and Iris Simmons Award

Awarded to a full time student who has successfully completed studies in Chemistry equivalent to a second year level in a degree with Chemistry as a major field of study and has demonstrated the highest standard of academic achievement combined with qualities of leadership and involvement in community affairs

Second year Emma Vecoli 

A.N. Hambly Prize

Awarded to the most outstanding student in their final year in Applied Chemistry

Final year Xueni Mo

Computer Science and Information Technology Award

Awarded to highest achieving bachelor student by year

First year

Su-Kuen Koh

Josiah Orlann Miranda

Second year Mitchell Anthony Wood
Final year Nathan Peter Reus

Environmental Science Award

Awarded to highest achieving bachelor student by year

First year

Michael Terrence Coulter

Second year Riley John Nicholson
Final year Katie Anne Plaisted

Adrian Chambers Award

Awarded to highest achieving first year bachelor student

First year Brian Tjahjono

Emily McPherson Consumer Science Award

Awarded to highest achieving second year bachelor student

Second year

Eunike Angelica

Nadya Evelyn

Alyssa Xian I Foong 

Food Science and Technology Award

Awarded to highest achieving final year bachelor student     

Final Year  Shelby Caroline Trebse

Mathematical Sciences Award

Awarded to highest achieving bachelor student by year

First year

Kevin Huynh

Second year Steven John Azzopardi

Professor Jake Zeephongsekul Prize

Awarded to highest achieving third year bachelor student.

Professor Panlop (Jake) Zeephongsekul received his BSc (Honours) degree from The University of Melbourne and a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Western Australia. He joined the former School of Mathematics and Statistics at RMIT University in 1987 and remained at RMIT till his passing in 2018, having attained the position of Professor of Statistics.

Third year

Phillip Pedro-Suvorov

Ashley Duffield Walls

J. Roger Blake Memorial Prize

Associate Dean's choice

  Al-Aufi Hamed

Stanley Martin Memorial Prize

Awarded to the student with the best overall performance in first year physics subject          

  Dominic Graham Lewis

Physics Award

Awarded to highest achieving final year bachelor student     

Final Year Luke Johnstone

Unibank Women in Physics

Associate Dean's choice

  Elise Jane Blanchfield

Robert Asche Award

Awarded to the highest achieving first year computer science or software engineering student

First year  Ian Duc Nguyen

Software Engineering Award

Awarded to highest achieving second year bachelor student

Second Year Danny Le

Software Engineering Award

Awarded to highest achieving final year bachelor student

Final Year Bob Zhou

Freemasons Foundation Victoria Award First year

Awarded to a first year student who can demonstrate financial hardship combined with academic achievement, innovation, leadership and/or other outstanding contributions          

First year  Michael Jaye Sartorel

Surveying and Geospatial Science Award

Awarded to highest achieving second year bachelor student

Second Year Helen Margaret Simpson

Robert J. Gray Award

Awarded to highest achieving third year bachelor student

Third year Lawrence Lay

Mondo Women in Geospatial Sciences Scholarship

Awarded to a female first year student in the surveying or geospatial science programs with the character, personality and potential for future development as a female professional in Surveying or Geospatial Science

First year  Grace Mulcahy

The Spatial Vision Excellence Award

Awarded to a Fourth Year Bachelor of Science (Geospatial Science) student who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement, character and potential for professional development

Fourth Year Olivia Suvari Unny

W E Thompson Memorial Prize

Awarded to a final year Bachelor of Applied Science (Surveying) student who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement, character and potential for professional development

Final Year Ryan John Girardin

Award

Winner

Postgraduate Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Jacinta Patricia Colvin

Postgraduate Nanotechnology Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Qiuhui Yu

Postgraduate Computer Science and Information Technology Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Cifang Zhang

Postgraduate Environmental Science Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Charuni Kanchana Jayasekara Mudiyanselage

Postgraduate Food Science and Technology Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Rishika Pujari

Postgraduate Mathematical Sciences Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

Sarun Sankarankutty Menon

Postgraduate Surveying and Geospatial Science Award

Awarded to highest-achieving postgraduate by coursework student

James Frederick McGlade

Award

Winner

Ian Snook Physics Prize

Awarded to highest-achieving PhD student.

This prize honours the contribution the late Professor Ian Snook made to physics research and as an RMIT staff member where he was employed from May 1973 until his death in April 2013. Professor Snook had an outstanding career in Computational Physics studying Condensed Matter.

He also excelled as a teacher and mentor and supervised over 28 Masters and PhD students. Professor Snook had a great passion for science and worked tirelessly for his students and colleagues to ensure they had the best chance of success.

The prize is awarded to an outstanding PhD student in Physics at RMIT based on their outstanding research potential.

Jesse Vaitkus
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.