Professor Michael Raupach, an eminent Australian scientist and Flinders graduate, died on 10 February at the age of 64. Until his final, brief illness, he was the Director of the Climate Change Institute at the Australian National University, a post he took up after a 35-year career with the CSIRO.
Professor Raupach was among the earliest PhD graduates (1978) in Earth Sciences from Flinders. The Dean of the School the Environment, Professor Andrew Millington, said Michael Raupach “became one of Australia’s most prestigious and influential climate change scientists”..
From 2000 to 2008 Professor Raupach was an inaugural co-chair of the Global Carbon Project, an international project studying the natural and human influences on the global carbon cycle, and in 2007 was a contributing author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Assessment Report on the scientific basis of climate change.
Co-chair of the working group that drafted the Australian Academy of Science (AAS) booklet The Science of Climate Change: Questions and Answers, he also led the report Challenges at Energy-Water-Carbon Intersection for the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council.
His numerous publications received more than 10,000 citations.
Professor Raupach was a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the American Geophysical Union.
The Conversation published this tribute to his life and work.
The extended Flinders community was also saddened by the recent death of Mrs Judith Roberts, whose 16-year role on the University’s governing Council represented only a fraction of her activities in the community.
The Chancellor, Mr Stephen Gerlach, said Mrs Roberts had been a tireless supporter of the University, both in her official roles and as an advocate for Flinders and its activities.
“Her strong commitment to Flinders was part of an extraordinary record of service to the community,” Mr Gerlach said.
In addition to her council and numerous committee roles at Flinders, she held the role of Pro Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor. She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University in December 2008.
A nurse by profession, Mrs Roberts was involved with a wide range of Government and non-Government organisations, and advised State and Federal Governments in the areas of health – especially cancer prevention – education, welfare and women’s affairs.
She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003 for her service to the community and to education.
