Claire Corani Memorial Prize

Emily Hackett-Jones is this year's recipient of the Claire Corani Memorial Prize awarded by the South Australian Women In Physics group.

The prize is named after a graduate of the University of Adelaide, Claire Corani – an active member of Women In Physics who died tragically in 1994.

The annual prizes are awarded to the best female student in second year Physics in a bid to promote physics as a career for women.

Ms Hackett-Jones said she was gratified to have been awarded the prize.

"It's really nice to get recognition, especially as an undergraduate," she said.

Now in her third year of a Bachelor of Science, Ms Hackett-Jones said she chose physics because of her love for mathematics, her dislike of research that involved animals, and because of her high school physics teacher.

"I did physics in Year 11 and 12 at Annesley College and I had a really good teacher who made physics fun and exciting. So when it came to doing science at uni, I thought I'd give physics a go. Although I love maths, I didn't want to become a mathematician as such. I really like the way maths has applications in physics," she said.

The Claire Corani Prize was awarded to Ms Hackett-Jones at a public lecture given by world-renowned physicist Dr Christine Davies on 26 May.

Ms Hackett-Jones said she thought it was important to encourage young women to study physics, which in the past had been a field dominated by men.

She said she would continue her studies with Honours next year, and was still considering further study for a PhD.

Printed with kind permission of the University of Adelaide where the article first appeared.

This Award is given by the Old Scholars Association to honour the name of Miss E M Worsnop, who was a teacher at MLC for many years.

The Award was reviewed in 1999 and is a now in the form of a Bursary for a year 11 daughter of an active and financial Old Scholar.

For more information please contact the Secretary of the Old Scholars Association, Annesley College, 89 Greenhill Road, Wayville, SA 5034 or telephone the College on (08) 8422 2288.