Professor Kevin Wheldall Inducted into the Innovators' Hall of Fame
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Researchers in laser technology took out many of the top prizes at the 5th Annual Macquarie University Innovation Awards, but the most coveted award was won by a literacy expert in recognition of a lifetime of improving educational outcomes for children with learning difficulties.
Professor Kevin Wheldall’s sustained contribution to improving literacy in children with learning difficulties has won him a coveted place in the Macquarie Innovators’ Hall of Fame.
Professor Wheldall’s induction into the Innovators’ Hall of Fame – the first to occur in three years – was based on the success of his Making Up Lost Time In Literacy (MultiLit) initiative, developed in 1995.
“For more than a decade, Kevin and his team have been helping children who have struggled to learn to read,” explained Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steven Schwartz. “Without MultiLit’s intervention, many of them would have fallen by the wayside. In particular, whole communities – such as remote Indigenous townships in Cape York – will benefit from Kevin’s knowledge and passion for generations to come. I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of this honour.”
The Other 2009 Innovation Award Winning Initiatives were:
- INNOVATION IN SERVICES: Distributor – a paperless document distribution system
- INNOVATION IN LEARNING AND TEACHING: TermFinder – Jargonbusting and concept building, an online learning tool for beginners in science and social science
- INNOVATION IN RESEARCH: Quantum informatics on a chip
- INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP: Understanding conflict of interest in the public sector
- INNOVATION TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY: Environmental risk and sustainability in the energy and resource industries
- COMMERCIAL INNOVATION: Commercialising innovations in enzyme development and production through Applimex Systems
- INVENTION DISCLOSURE: Diamond laser system for precision ultra low collateral damage ablative surgery
- RESEARCH STUDENTS’ INNOVATION: Highly functional and robust, monolithic fibre laser systems.
The 2009 winners each received a unique bronze sculpture by renowned sculptor Linda Klarfeld and a cash prize.
The 2009 Macquarie University Innovation Awards were presented as part of the 2009 Australian Innovation Festival.