Professor Robert Park recognised as national 'problem solver' by Universities Australia
A panel of eminent Australians has chosen Professor Robert Park from the Faculty of Science and Sydney Institute of Agriculture as Universities Australia’s national Problem Solver at its 2024 Shaping Australia Awards.
The awards were announced on Tuesday night at Parliament House in Canberra.
Professor Park’s entry, ‘Saving our Cereals’, was chosen for its pivotal role developing resistance to cereal fungus, known as ‘rust’, and its contribution to the Australian economy.
Cereal rust diseases pose a serious threat to wheat, barley and oat production worldwide. Wheat rust alone causes annual losses of 5.47 million tonnes globally.
The Australian Government’s Grains Research and Development Corporation estimates that genetic resistance to wheat and barley rust saves the Australian economy $1.09 billion annually. Professor Park’s research group contributes 60 per cent of this, amounting to savings of more than $600 million a year in Australia and billions globally.
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Saving our cereals: Professor Robert Park
Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards winner: Problem Solver
Professor Park is the Judith and David Coffey Chair of Sustainable Agriculture and Director of Cereal Rust Research at the Plant Breeding Institute at the University’s Camden campus.
For nearly two decades, Professor Robert Park has led world-class efforts to develop cereal varieties with inbuilt genetic disease resistance. He is a highly regarded plant pathologist who has successfully translated his biological discoveries to real-world application. His research has had a sustained global impact on the economic viability of cereal production and food security.
The judges recognised Professor Park’s leadership that led to the creation of the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program, the only research program in the world that fully integrates pathology, genetics and pre-breeding. Collaborating with privately funded cereal breeding programs ensures the research directly benefits farmers.
This research on cereal rust pathology and genetics has significantly boosted the economic viability of agricultural production.
Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott, said: “I congratulate Professor Park on this outstanding achievement and deserved recognition. It is a compelling example of what university researchers can accomplish - undertaking the painstaking and long-term work that leads to a solution of worldwide importance and benefit.”
Professor Park has been recognised many times for his work, including the Eureka Award for Leadership and Innovation in Science, the NSW Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in Biological Sciences and the Poggendorff Medal and Lectureship of the Royal Society of NSW.
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