Professor Ann Roberts has been awarded the 2025 W.H. Beattie Steel medal, the most prestigious award of the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society. This medal recognizes outstanding career contribution to the field of optics in Australia and New Zealand. The award particularly recognizes a sustained record of leadership, service, and innovation in the Optics field.

Ann is a highly published and internationally recognized researcher with world leading contributions to subwavelength optics, plasmonics, and imaging. Ann has supervised to completion over 20 PhD students, been proactive in promoting indigenous/ equity/ inclusion/ equal opportunity programs, and highly active in undergraduate teaching and course coordination. Ann has also been a past AOS President, and past state branch Chair of the AIP (plus numerous Professional and international conference committees).  Ann’s career has advanced science, technology and contributed to industry in our region creating a lasting legacy for our community.

You can read more about the award here.