Matt Wilson wins RIRDC's Tony Byrne Memorial Scholarship
To mark the passing this year of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation's Tony Byrne, and in recognition of Tony's longstanding commitment to research in the essential oils and plant extracts industry, RIRDC decided to establish the Tony Byrne Memorial Scholarship.
This scholarship reflects the high importance Mr Byrne placed on building research capacity in new and emerging industries. Matt Wilson, a UTAS School of Agricultural Science PhD student, is the first recipient of this scholarship.
According to RIRDC News, “Matthew was an excellent candidate, with both industry and research experience. Matthew’s application demonstrated excellent connectedness with industry participants as is indicated in the level of relevance that his proposed research in developing the agronomic requirements of Tasmania lanceolata (native pepper) has for the industry.”
“Demand for this product is expected to increase in the very near future, and establishment of an industry based on cultivation rather than wild harvest will become increasingly critical.”
“Matthew is supervised by Professor Robert Menary who has during his long service at the University of Tasmania, played a significant role in developing the next generation of essential oils and plant extracts researchers in Australia.”
Well done Matt!