Peter Nicol Russell Career Achievement Memorial Medal

PNR Medal Submission Guidelines 

The online nomination process has been updated to make it easier to nominate.

Click here to view and download the Submission Guidelines.

If you have any further questions about the submission process, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Terms and Conditions 

• The PNR will be awarded annually.
• Only Honorary Fellows of Engineers Australia will be eligible for nomination.
• Any nomination for the PNR must be accompanied by a statement (200 word citation) of the nominee's notable contributions and achievements.
• At 31 July of each year, the H&A Committee will consider new nominations, add those suitable to the Register and review the nominations already recorded on the Register, in order to recommend three names to the Board for consideration at the next scheduled Board meeting.
• Cognisant of any advice from the H&A Committee, the Board will select an annual PNR recipient

Nominations for this award may be made by:

- Any three members of National Congress
- A National Congress Board
- A Division Committee, College Board or Society Board
- The National President

• The Chief Executive shall ensure that the Register of nominees for the award is maintained for a period of three years and kept confidential, accessed only by the National H&A Committee, Chief Executive and Secretary to the H&A Committee.
• At the conclusion of three years, names will be removed from the Register if not selected as the PNR recipient.
• Contact details of the nominator will be kept on file for the three year period. Nominators will be notified of a nominee’s expiry from the Register and invited to renominate.
• No feedback will be given to nominators as to whether the nominee was added to the Register.
• The National President or representative will contact the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal winner to advise of their selection and inform them that a formal invitation will be extended to receive the award. The presentation, by the National President, might be on the occasion of the Annual General Meeting of Engineers Australia, or on another occasion deemed suitable by the Honours and Awards Committee or the National President.
• The award consists of a framed certificate and medal prescribed by the Board.

Click here to download a copy of the terms and conditions

2020 Peter Nicol Russell Career Achievement Memorial Medal Recipient

Professor Harry Poulos AM HonFIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)

With a distinguished academic and consulting career spanning almost six decades, Professor Harry Poulos AM is a world expert in pile foundation design whose work has underpinned many of the world’s tallest buildings.

He has transformed the geotechnical understanding of how structures interact with the ground and developed more reliable design approaches that have superseded previous procedures based on empirical experience.

Professor Poulos has applied his research to a wide range of projects internationally, including buildings such as the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, as well as freeways, bridges, tunnels, mines and more.

A Member of the Order of Australia, Professor Poulos has published four books and over 400 technical papers, and contributed heavily to the international geotechnical community. He has been recognised with the geotechnical engineering profession’s highest prizes, honorary positions, memberships and awards. These include the Rankine Lecture (UK), Terzaghi Lecture (USA) and the Kevin Nash Gold Medal of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.

Professor Poulos is a most deserving recipient of Engineers Australia’s highest honour, the Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal, which is awarded annually to an Honorary Fellow who has made a notable contribution to the science or practice of engineering in Australia. Recipients of the Medal represent the highest technical, professional and community service standards of the profession.

2019 Peter Nicol Russell Career Achievement Memorial Medal Recipient

Professor Brian Anderson AC

Professor Brian Anderson is an epitome of engineering, his quintessence inspiring many generations of engineers across the entire profession, and his ubiquitous contributions laying the foundation of electrical engineering research and education across Australia, deeply influencing the practice of engineering within Australia’s broad range of industries, all inspired by bettering the community. He is known as a legend in control engineering across the planet, a gift to Australia.

Professor Anderson succeeds and shines in every facet of the profession. His remarkable intellect has seen his works span a compendium of applied problems. His lively spirit coupled with such know-how has seen him provide advice to Government and Prime Ministers spanning several decades as well as lead automation globally as International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) President. His pursuit of excellence via a mind of inquiry has provided insights into mystery, fostering the new field of information, communication and technology, arising in the birth of National ICT Australia (NICTA).

Professor Anderson truly brings balance not only to applied problems but the profession and the community, always aiming for the best standard in both the science and practice of engineering. The Peter Nicol Russell Memorial Medal would be a becoming award well earned.

Professor Anderson thank you message

Past Medal Recipients