New Fonterra award recognises engineering excellence in food industry
A new Fonterra-sponsored award to recognise innovative thinking in the fields of biotechnology and food processing was
presented before some of Australasia’s finest chemical engineers in Auckland last night.
Internationally renowned chemical engineer Professor Xiao Dong Chen was honoured at Chemeca 2006 – the Australasian
Conference of Chemical Engineering - for his contribution in the fields of food processing, chemical, and biochemical
engineering.
The award recognises outstanding contributions in the industrial application of novel technology in the bio processing
field from an individual or group of chemical engineers in Australia or New Zealand.
The award was one of eight presented at the ceremony in recognition of excellence in the Australasian engineering
community. Fonterra joined Alstrom, Exxon Mobil, Fluor, Shedden Uhde, Rio Tinto and WorleyParsons as sponsors of the
prestigious awards, which are supported by the Engineers Australia Chemical College, the Institution of Chemical
Engineers in Australia, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Society of Chemical Engineers New Zealand.
Fonterra’s General Manager Capital Projects, Ross McCowan, presented the award and said the company was proud to be
recognising the work of Professor Chen and supporting an award which celebrates the development of innovative technology
in food and bioprocess engineering.
“A commitment to continued innovation underpins Fonterra’s vision to Lead in Dairy,” said Mr McCowan. “The company
recognises the important role that leadership, such as that exhibited by Professor Chen, plays in the development of
innovative technology that will ensure the sustainability of the dairy industry. We congratulate Professor Chen on his
outstanding achievements.”
Professor Chen, over his 13 year academic career, has published 364 refereed artcles and supervised over 45 PhD and
Masters students. He held a Personal Chair in chemical engineering at The University of Auckland before recently joining
the Department of Chemical Engineering at Monash University in Australia. He has played a leading role in the
development of a number of innovative initiatives, devices and analytical methods applied to dairy processing and other
industries.
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