Climate trailblazer Dr Conrad Wasko awarded prestigious ATSE Medal

Dr Conrad Wasko, an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, has been awarded the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE ) Batterham Medal for Engineering Excellence.

Dr Wasko was awarded the Batterham Medal for his demonstrated excellence, innovation and impact in the field of engineering. He is an engineering hydrologist, with over ten years of consulting and research experience, who has received numerous awards for his contributions to understanding the effects of climate change on extreme rainfall events and flooding.

Dr Wasko has revealed through his research that while small floods, crucial for water supplies, are decreasing, large catastrophic flooding events are becoming the norm. His work demonstrates the uneven impacts of climate change and the threat it poses for safe and sustainable water supplies Australia-wide.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this Medal and heartened that my work has been recognised in this way,” Dr Wasko said.

“Research and innovation to better understand and reduce the impact of flooding due to climate change is of enormous value, given its potential impact on society and the environment, not just in Australia, but across the globe.”

The Batterham Medal, established in 2014, is an early career award given to a graduate engineer who has received significant peer/industry recognition for their work in the previous five years. The Group of Eight Deans of Engineering and Associates sponsored the award, which consists of a medal and a cash prize of $5,000.