MinEx CRC warmly congratulates Prof Caroline Tiddy, MinEx CRC Chief Scientific Officer, and Prof David Giles, former MinEx CRC Chief Scientific Officer, on their well deserved honours awarded by the Geological Society of Australia at the 2026 Australian Earth Sciences Convention (AESC).

Prof Caroline Tiddy was awarded the inaugural Nell Ludbrook Medal for Championing Inclusive Culture, recognising her leadership and sustained commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion in geoscience. As the first recipient of this award, Caroline’s recognition sends a powerful signal about the values shaping our discipline and its future.

Prof David Giles received the Joe Harms Medal for his significant contributions to mineral exploration and advancing our understanding of ore body formation – a reflection of decades of impact across research, collaboration and scientific leadership, including his work with MinEx CRC.

We also extend our congratulations to all award recipients, including the many Adelaide University colleagues recognised at this year’s convention. It was wonderful to see such a strong representation of excellence across our extended research community.

AESC 2026 was held under the theme “Geosciences: Solutions for the Future”, highlighting the critical role of Earth sciences in addressing global challenges from the energy transition and critical minerals, to Big Data and AI, food and water security, and truly interdisciplinary collaboration across academia, government and industry. The conference showcased a vision for geoscience that is innovative, inclusive and impact driven.

MinEx CRC also sincerely thanks our partners and sponsors for their continued support. Your collaboration enables the research, leadership and community building that make achievements like these possible.

Congratulations again to Caroline, David, and all those recognised at AESC2026.