Deakin professor elected to prestigious society

IN A first for Deakin University, Professor John Endler has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the world’s oldest and arguably most prestigious science academy.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading evolutionary biologists, the former Geelong professor’s research spans animal behaviour, evolution and ecology.

Prof Endler said he was delighted to be elected to the society. “It is a very high honour. I have always liked to do science for its own sake, but this is just amazing and very good news for my scientific fields,” he said.

The Emeritus Professor of Zoology in Deakin University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences addresses fundamental questions in biology such as: How do new species evolve? Why are animals coloured the way they are? How do animals achieve protection from predators? His research has sparked a generation of research into selection in natural populations, and it has revolutionised scientific understanding of how animals perceive the world.

As one of the fathers of the field of sensory ecology, his work has transformed the understanding of animal colouration and animal vision, and how these traits affect survival and reproduction.

Prof Endler, who was also a

Princeton academic, was recruited to Deakin in 2009 after the establishment of its Centre for Integrative Ecology in Geelong, which is now a hub for more than 150 researchers.

Deakin’s Deputy ViceChancellor Research Professor Julie Owens said the announcement marked the first time a Deakin academic had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

“We are delighted and very proud of Prof Endler’s achievements,” Prof Owens said. “He has made a tremendous contribution both to research at Deakin and to global understanding of the natural world and how natural organisms adapt and interact with their environment.”

Originating in the 1660s, the society’s 8000 Fellows have been the leading scientific lights of the past four centuries, and include Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Alfred Einstein and Steven Hawking.