2018 Malaspina Award


The Association of Spanish Researchers in Australia-Pacific (SRAP), with the support of the Spanish Embassy in Australia, is proud to announce writer, cultural historian and Hispanist Luke Stegemann as the winner of the 1st edition of the Malaspina Award (2018), which is bestowed upon individuals who have made an important contribution to the advancement of the scientific and/or cultural relationships between Spain and Australia.

Luke Stegemann has worked in media, publishing and higher education, and as a Spanish-English translator, in both Australia and Spain. He was formerly the managing editor of The Adelaide Review, and the founding editor of The Melbourne Review. He has written widely on Spanish art, history, culture and politics. In 2017, Stegemann contributed to the deepening of this relationship with the publication of The Beautiful Obscure, the first book that examines in close detail the interweaving cultural and political histories of Australia and Spain. He has made significant contribution to the cultural links between Australia and Spain and demonstrated a commitment in highlighting these ties which unite both countries and their heritage.

Malaspina Award The Award is named after Alejandro Malaspina, who led the Spanish World Scientific Expedition from 1789-1794 that carried out studies in natural history, cartography, ethnography, astronomy, hydrography and medicine in Latin America and the Pacific. The Malaspina expedition was the first foreign mission to arrive to Sydney in 1793, just five years after the arrival of the First Fleet. The Australian stage of this world scientific voyage generated hundreds of manuscripts, drawings and maps that record the settlement and describe their explorations around the Sydney region.

The 2018 Malaspina Award ceremony was held at the National Library of Australia on November 15 at 18h00.

Contact: Prof. Luis Salvador-Carulla, SRAP Board Member (Secretary)

 

 

 


Sergio G. Leon-Saval

About Sergio G. Leon-Saval

Sergio G. Leon-Saval was awarded his PhD by the University of Bath, UK, in 2006. In October 2007 he joined the Optical Fibre Technology Centre (OFTC) in Sydney, Australia. In 2009, he moved to the University of Sydney, Australia where he is currently part of the Institute of Photonics and Optical Science (IPOS) Executive Committee; Senior Member of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA); a Faculty Member of the School of Physics; and Director of the Sydney Astrophotonics Instrumentation Laboratory (SAIL). Dr Leon-Saval has more than 12 years of experience in the research area of photonics, optical devices and Astrophotonics –astronomical instrumentation using photonics. Dr Leon-Saval has co-authored over 65 international refereed journals and more than 120 conference papers since 2004 with over 3650 citations, and a h-index of 31. He is a reviewer and editor for several international technical programme committees (TPC); and a member of international organisations such as the Optical American Society (Senior Member), IEEE, and the Optical Australian Society.