Three Indian-origin persons have been awarded Order of Australia, the country’s highest civilian honour, for their contribution in the fields of physics, engineering and medicine. This year’s Australia Day honours list included over 600 people whose remarkable achievements range from high-profile humanitarian missions to humble work at the grassroots level of society’s most needy.
“They are a source of courage, support and inspiration, and we are a stronger, safer and more caring nation because of them,” Governor-General Peter Cosgrove said in announcing the awards.
Here are the three Indian-origin recipients of the award:
1. Chennupati Jagadish
Dr Jagadish was a lecturer in Physics and Electronics at SV College, University of Delhi. Between 1985-88 he worked at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada and from where he attained his post-doctoral research fellowship. He moved to Australia National University in 1990 and is currently Distinguished Professor and Head of Semiconductor Optoelectronics and Nanotechnology Group in the Department of EME, RSPE, the ANU.
He is also serving as Director of ANFF, ACT node and Convenor of the Australian Nanotechnology Network. He is serving as Vice-President and Secretary Physical Sciences of the Australian Academy of Science and Vice-President (Finance and Administration) of the IEEE Photonics Society.
He has published more than 820 research papers (550 journal papers), 5 US patents assigned, co-authored a book, co-edited 6 books, guest edited 15 special issues of journals and edited 12 conference proceedings.
Some of his prestigious awards include Laureate Fellowship (2009-20014) from the ARC, 2011 IEEE NTC Distinguished Service Award, 2010 Top Supervisor Award for excellence in research student supervision by the ANU
2. Jay Chandra
Jay Chandra, an eye doctor in New South Wales. He has been the head of vitreo-retinal surgery at Westmead Hospital since the unit opened in 1985. He has also received the award for his significant service to medicine in the field of ophthalmology as a clinician, and to the international community through eye care programs.
In 2002, Dr Chandra did a presentation in India about his voluntary work on alleviating blindness when he was approached by the Nepean Division of General Practice. He also took part in the Fiji Eye Project, 2005 which did 1,000 successful cataract surgeries.
3. Sajeev Koshy
Dr Sanjeev Koshy has served as the president of the Kerala Dental Council as well as the Indian Dental Association. Dr Koshy is currently the head of the endodontics at the Royal Melbourne Dental Hospital, which is the teaching hospital for the University of Melbourne.
Dr Koshy has received many awards for his services to the community. He has held several posts like Senior Specialist Endodontist, The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne, Director of Dental Services, Plenty Valley Community Health and Director of Dental Service, Boort District Health Services. He has also has served as the Federal Secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Endodontists Inc.
(With inputs from PTI)
