Graham Durant, a Member of the Order of Australia

I just read that Professor Graham Durant, Director of Questacon in Australia, has been awarded an AM (Member of the Order of Australia) in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. His award is in recognition of his services to science education as the Director of Questacon: The National Science and Technology Centre, to the museums sector, and through scientific advisory roles.

Many in the ASC know Graham through his work in preparing the Inspiring Australia Report and his many other connections with science communication. Graham was a featured speaker at this year’s ASC conference where he gave us an overview of the first year of Inspiring Australia activities.

Graham has extensive experience in communicating science through the science centre-museum sector and other networks. Before taking on his position at Questacon in 2003, Graham was a Senior Curator and Deputy Director of the Hunterian Museum in Scotland and was closely involved in the opening of the Glasgow Science Centre in 2001. Graham has been an advocate for, and active contributor to the Asia Pacific Network of Science & Technology Centres (ASPAC) network, including a term on the Executive Council. He was a board member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) from 2005 to 2011 and a member of ASTC’s International Committee, ensuring that the Asia Pacific region was well represented in this global network. I congratulate Graham on his well deserved honour.

Jesse Shore
National president

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About Jesse Shore

Jesse Shore is passionate about engaging the community with science and in looking for ways to weave together the arts and sciences. He has been developing science based exhibitions and events since 1984, and was President of the Australian Science Communicators from 2010-2012. His business, Prismatic Sciences, produced five travelling exhibitions for the Royal Australian Chemical Institute for the 2011 International Year of Chemistry and he manages the ongoing national tour. He previously worked at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney as an exhibition project leader and Senior Curator of sciences. While at the museum he was one of the founders of the Ultimo Science Festival, a major National Science Week activity. He is currently collaborating with an artist to create artworks which have a science slant.

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