Possingham Family Legacy
A new postgraduate top-up scholarship in environmental sustainability will honour Barbara and Max Possingham and promote vital research.
Dr Barbara Possingham PhD and Max Possingham (Master of Engineering) c. 1990
For brothers Graham and Hugh Possingham, caring for the environment is a family value; one instilled by parents Barbara and Max, and embraced by partners Jenny and Karen. In establishing a postgraduate supplementary scholarship in environmental sustainability, the Possingham family is building on a legacy at the University that began in the 1940s and continues today. Dr Barbara Possingham was one of the first two women to complete a PhD in physics at the University of Adelaide, and her late husband Max also studied and worked at the University. Hugh, Graham, Karen and Jenny are all alumni as well.
Environmental conservation has been a passion for the entire family, with Max taking his sons bird watching from a young age. That interest has extended into a long career in conservation for Hugh in particular, who currently holds the positions of Queensland Chief Scientist and Chair of the Environment Institute Advisory Board at the University. This scholarship will support up to three students at a time through their postgraduate studies, and contribute to vital research.
Improving environmental sustainability is a complicated problem, often requiring integrated solutions. We intend for the scholarship to attract talented postgraduate researchers, from all disciplines, who will contribute to finding those solutions.Graham Possingham