IPEN’s impact mahi wins Australian Evaluation Society award
Kara Scally-Irvine (iPEN impact and evaluation specialist), Ross Laurence (iPEN Chair, Maanaki Whenua) and Sue Bidrose (iPEN sponsor, AgResearch CEO and Chair of Science New Zealand).
The Impact Planning & Evaluation Network (IPEN) includes Manaaki Whenua’s Ross Laurence (chair), Dr Daniel Milosavljevic, and Veronika Alexova, together with colleagues from the six other Crown Research Institutes (CRIs). IPEN’s efforts to build research impact capacity and capability have been recognised by the Australian Evaluation Society with the 2023 Excellence in Evaluation Systems Award. This recognises the development of an exemplary integrated evaluation system, which in the case of CRIs is being used to improve the way research is planned and delivered.
It’s only the third time an Aotearoa New Zealand entry has won in more than 20 years. IPEN Chair, Ross Laurence, says the award acknowledges what has “truly been a collaborative effort from passionate individuals across all seven CRIs. A group of people who openly shared ideas and experiences and were willing to go the extra mile for each other. It has proved the value of trust and true collaboration across organisations.”
Rich Leschen elected Fellow
Rich Leschen
Dr Rich Leschen has been elected Fellow of the Entomological Society of New Zealand. Rich’s early appreciation of natural history began with reptiles and amphibians, morphing into a lifelong fascination with beetles. He graduated from the University of Arkansas (MSc, 1988) and gained his PhD at the University of Kansas, before joining Manaaki Whenua’s NZ Arthropod Collection in 1997. His research has focused on micro-Coleoptera and has resulted in an outstanding level of publications: over 195 journal articles, 12 books/monographs, and 65 book chapters, often accomplished with his extensive network of collaborators. He has named 270 species and 92 genera as new to science.
Sandra Lavorel recognised for climate change research
Sandra Lavorel
Research Associate Dr Sandra Lavorel was awarded the prestigious French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Gold Medal for her interdisciplinary research that regularly informs territorial planning and biodiversity management policies, and offers nature-based solutions for contending with global change. Sandra was recently based at Manaaki Whenua in Lincoln on a two-year secondment where she specialised in the functioning and dynamics of ecosystems, including the contributions that biodiversity makes to human life, and the societal and economic impact of its alteration by environmental changes.