Professor Hua Kun Liu, of Wollongong, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the general division for significant service to the scientific research sector, and to tertiary education.
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Professor Liu is a distinguished professor and founding member at the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), within the Australian Institute of Innovative Materials at University of Wollongong. She is a former program leader at the Energy Materials Research Program and a member of the Australian Research Council (ARC).
Professor Liu has completed 55 research grants since 1994 and written 900 peer-reviewed papers on fields including rechargeable batteries, hydrogen storage materials, energy storage and conversion, materials science, chemistry, electrochemistry and structure chemistry.
She has received a number of awards, including the University of Wollongong's Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Partnership and the Vice Chancellor's Excellence Award for Research Excellence, as well as Lifetime Achievement Award by Ausinan Science and Technology Society.
She was the chief investigator on an energy storage program to achieve high-energy and high-power density, safety and long cycle life lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles.
Another Australia Day Honours List recipient is a former NSW and Australian softball umpire who was the long-time president of Softball NSW.
Kay Thompson, of Farmborough Heights, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to softball.
Ms Thompson is a life member and former board member of Softball NSW, and served as its president from 1988 to 2002.
A life member, former board member and former secretary of the Softball NSW Umpires Association, she was a nationally-accredited umpire and served on the board of Softball Australia (formerly the Australian Softball Federation).
The Dapto High School music teacher and softball coach was president of the Illawarra District Softball Association from 1978 to 1992, and coached the South Coast Softball Team.
She established the Illawarra Slowpitch Softball Competition in the early 1990s and was a member of the organising committee for the under-19s Men's International Softball World Championships in 2001.
Pamella Vernon, of Flinders, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to social welfare.
Ms Vernon is the vice-president of Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA), and is an advocate for other survivors of Dalmar Children's Home.
She lobbied for the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuses, which resulted in a national apology to survivors.
She is the director and co-ordinator of Origins HARP (Healing and Recovery Project for Forgotten Australians), and has ties to various other organisations, including the Older Persons Advocacy Network.
Jennifer Mary Thompson, of Coniston, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division for service to the community through social welfare organisations, including Illawarra AIDS Taskforce and Wollongong Youth Resource Centre.
The Southern Youth and Family Services board director is a former board member at Wollongong Emergency Family Accommodation and Illawarra Community Housing Trust.
The library and community services manager at Wollongong Council has also held a number of positions at TAFE NSW - Illawarra.
The Mercury has collated the information using information supplied by the Council for the Order of Australia, including postcodes and current suburbs.
Anyone can nominate an Australian for an award in the Order of Australia at www.gg.gov.au.
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Merryn Porter
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
Journalist with more than 25 years' experience in print and digital media who has covered most news rounds, including health, education, politics (local, state and federal), police and courts, with a special interest in women's and family matters. Highly-skilled interviewer and storyteller.
