A new Monash award honours the memory of FLEET’s Shaun Johnstone, who passed away in December 2019.
The Shaun Johnstone Prize will be awarded for the best paper written by a PhD student in experimental physics or astronomy published in the past year.
Shaun passed away from cancer not too long after receiving his PhD in experimental physics from Monash School of Astronomy and Physics.
Shaun was an outstanding PhD student with a passion for laboratory work as well as the resilience and persistence to overcome setbacks that are typical in experimentation. “The Shaun Johnstone Prize is to recognise that spirit and accomplishment by a PhD student in experimental science in the School of Physics and Astronomy,” said Shaun’s friend and colleague, Prof Kris Helmerson.
The prize recognises experimentalists in a broad sense. It is not restricted to just laboratory-based research, but includes experiments or measurements performed at user facilities like a synchrotron or telescope.
The selection criteria for the prize is:
* Student identifies themself as an experimental physicist or observational astronomer;
* First or last author of nominated publication (exceptions to this will be considered for large collaboration publications);
* Publication in high IF journal (and evidence of citations), or work that is judged to be of high impact;
* Research that results or will result in the generation of empirical data/evidence;
* Evidence of innovation and creativity in the design/implementation of experiments, or in the analysis of data/experiments reported in the publication…
* Some consideration of how the work was communicated more broadly.
It is a fitting legacy of Shaun’s record at Monash as a brilliant experimental physicist.
At FLEET we also remember Shaun’s generosity, both in giving back to his local community and family, and equally evident in his worklife, for example in his support of the Monash undergrad physics community, optics society and the many hours he spent in schools outreach on behalf of Monash and FLEET. Shaun’s love for physics saw him frequently explaining concepts to students, family, friends and colleagues.
We remember his creativity, as evident in solving technical issues with experimental formation of quantum condensates as it was in beaming videos across the road to a friend’s share-house, ripping a laser out of an early Bluetooth player to use as a laser pointer, or in fitting a killer sound system to a billy-cart, aged nine.
We still miss you Shaun.
