ACE CRC glaciologist Professor Ian Allison is the recipient of this year’s Phillip Law Medal for his outstanding contribution to Antarctic affairs and the Antarctic community. The Medal is awarded annually by the ANARE Club, which represents former and current Australian Antarctic expeditioners. Professor Allison has worked as a glaciologist for more than 40 years, with more than 30 years in scientific leadership positions. He has participated in or led 25 expeditions to Antarctica since wintering at Mawson in 1969 as a newly qualified physicist. The CEO of the ACE CRC, Dr Tony Press, congratulated Professor Allison, saying he had made an enormous contribution to Antarctic science. “This contribution is matched by his leadership in Antarctica, in Australia and in the global Antarctic community,” Dr Press said. “We are delighted to see Ian recognised in this way. He has made a huge contribution to Antarctic science and to our understanding of the impacts of climate change in Antarctica. As well as being an outstanding scientist he is a leader, and there is no more demanding place to demonstrate leadership abilities than on deep field operations in Antarctica.” Professor Allison’s research covers a broad field including sea ice; ice shelf ocean interaction; mass budget of the Antarctic ice sheet; and Antarctic surface weather and climate. He has played a lead role in international collaboration in glaciology and climate science for more than a quarter of a century through bodies such as the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research; the World Climate Research Programme and the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. He was co-Chair of the Joint Committee for the International Polar Year 2007-2008, and a Lead Author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth and Fifth Assessment Reports. The medal was presented at the ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) traditional Midwinter dinner in Hobart. Dr Phillip Garth Law was the founding Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, serving in the role from 1949 to 1966. He also co-founded the ANARE Club, and was its long-serving patron until his death in 2010.

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