Council sponsors science and technology award

Hutt City Council is sponsoring the science and technology category of the Wellingtonian of the Year Awards for the fourth year running.

Mayor Ray Wallace says the awards provide an opportunity to recognise outstanding intellectual achievements.

“We have a wealth of talent in the area of science and technology within the Wellington region. We want to support this talent by sponsoring this category and demonstrating our commitment to growing science innovation in Lower Hutt and the wider Wellington region.”

There are four candidates in the science and technology category this year and Mayor Wallace is impressed by all of them.

“All the nominees are outstanding achievers in the field of science and technology,” he says.

The candidates are:

Dr Sue Huang: currently the head virologist of the National Influenza Centre at ESR at Wallaceville and the World Health Organisation’s flu monitoring representative in New Zealand. Dr Huang has recently been keeping tabs on the swine flu epidemic.

Professor Graham Le Gros: Director of the Malaghan Institute and a leading researcher in the field of immunology. He’s spent more than 25 years investigating asthma, allergies and parasitic diseases.

Professor Tim Naish: Director of Victoria University’s Antarctic Research Centre. His research into past and present climate change and how that impacts on climate and sea-level patterns is acclaimed worldwide.

Tim Norton: founder of several ventures that work online to enhance our lives offline – such as personal budgeting and finance, growing businesses through quick, easy but high quality videos, and organising online communities.

Category winners and the 2011 Wellingtonian of the Year will be announced on Thursday 17 November.