Scientists named Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science

University of Melbourne Scientists Professor Michael Sandiford and Professor Geoffrey Taylor have been named Fellows of the prestigious Australian Academy of Science. The Academy annually elects a small number of Australian scientists for their outstanding contributions to science. Professor Sandiford, a geologist, and Taylor, a physicist, are among 22 new Fellows elected to the Academy, which recognises researchers whose careers have significantly advanced, and continue to advance, the world's scientific knowledge.  Dean of Science Professor Robert Saint said he was delighted two outstanding Faculty of Science researchers had been recognised this year.   "The election of these exceptional scientists attests to the esteem in which they are held by the scientific community," he said.  "Professor Taylor's work on Large Hadron Collider detectors, most recently used to discover the elusive Higgs Boson, represents a huge contribution to the international science endeavour. "Professor Sandiford has made seminal contributions to our understanding of geological processes, including those of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate, the part of the earth's crust on which we sit."   Professor Sandiford is Director of the University'sMelbourne Energy Institute. Having made important contributions to metamorphic geology, tectonics, earthquake geology, geomorphology and geothermics with a special focus on the young tectonic activity in the Indo-Australian tectonic plate, his work on the thermal structure of the Australian crust has led to increased interest in geothermal energy exploration in South Australia.   Professor Taylor is Director of the University's ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physicsat the Terrascale.