He’s one of Australia’s foremost experts in one of our biggest environmental challenges – and now Flinders University water scientist Professor Craig Simmons has won the coveted SA Scientist of the Year award.

Professor Simmons was lauded for his work on groundwater, a resource of critical importance to the Murray-Darling Basin system, water and food security, mining and the nuclear industry, and coal seam gas and fracking.

He almost singlehandedly put groundwater on the research agenda and established the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, becoming the Inaugural Schultz Chair in the Environment at Flinders University in the process.

Science Minister Gail Gago heaped praise on Professor Simmons, stating his outstanding personal contribution was helping to build a prosperous, sustainable Australia.

Professor Simmons’ win coincides with another public honour – being named as Scientist in Residence at The Advertiser, under a program devised by the Australian Science Media Centre to promote public knowledge of Australia’s world-leading research.

Flinders scientists dominated this year’s SA Science Excellence Awards, claiming every category in which the University had a finalist. The other winners were nanotechnologist Dr Katherine Moore who won both that PhD Research Excellence Award and the People’s Choice award, and theoretical physicist Dr Maria Parappilly who took out the Early Career STEM Educator of the Year – Tertiary Teaching award.

Other finalists from Flinders were Dr Scott Groom (Biological Sciences) and Dr Christiaan Ridings (Chemical and Physical Sciences) in the  PhD Research Excellence category.

Flinders scientists also featured in this month’s Unsung Heroes of SA Science awards, with SA Brain Bank curator Robyn Flook taking the main prize, and nanotechnologist Dr Andy Stapleton named the Unsung Hero of Science Communication.