Sydney scientist named 2021 NSW Young Tall Poppy of the Year
Dr Ayesha Tulloch in Madagascar with a friendly black-and-white ruffed lemur Varecia variegata. Dr Tulloch has been recognised for her nature conservation work.
University of Sydney conservation biologist Dr Ayesha Tulloch has been named the overall New South Wales Young Tall Poppy of the Year recipient for 2021.
Dr Tulloch, an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Fellow specialising in the use of ecological knowledge to inform conservation decision-making processes, was selected from 10 research winners spanning various disciplines from across the state.
The annual NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Awards are hosted by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science ().
These awards recognise and celebrate researchers who demonstrate scientific excellence combined with a unique passion for science communication, which can inspire young people to enter STEM study and careers.
鈥淚 am honoured to have been recognised as the overall NSW Tall Poppy of the Year recipient for this year,鈥� said Dr Tulloch from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
鈥淎t their core, these awards are about celebrating scientists who are making a difference in terms of outreach and impact, and that鈥檚 so important to me.鈥�
Dr Ayesha Tulloch in the Pilungha Reserve, Simpson Desert, holding a crest-tailed mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda.
Dr Tulloch's interests include finding solutions to conservation and wildlife management problems related to ecological monitoring, fire, farmland restoration, conservation conflicts and spatial conservation planning.
鈥淎ustralia is unfortunately known around the world for its terrible record of animal and plant extinctions and shocking rates of land clearing, instead of being celebrated for its unique natural places and wildlife,鈥� Dr Tulloch said.
鈥淢y goal is to work with the people and the organisations that want to help recover wildlife, whether it鈥檚 on farms or in national parks.
鈥淢y work has taken me from the desert rangelands of Australia to the rainforests of Madagascar to help organisations, governments and farmers deliver better outcomes for wildlife.
鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of having been part of great science teams making a real impact on nature conservation, like聽聽and the聽.
鈥淭hese teams are building tools and educational material that are making a difference to how we manage the land.
鈥淔or the future, I鈥檓 expanding my research to explore the complex links between nature and people, and how we can intervene in agriculture and food systems to have the best outcomes for both wildlife and humans.鈥�
The University of Sydney had a total of three researchers honoured with Young Tall Poppy Science Awards this year.
顿谤听Tegan Cheng聽from the聽Faculty of Medicine and Health聽was honoured for her ongoing research into treating musculoskeletal disorders in children, whilst 顿谤听Yu Heng Lau聽from the聽School of Chemistry聽was recognised for engineering solutions on the molecular scale.
