‘Inspiration’ the basis for recipients of top Lincoln University awards
Services to business, science and the Latin American communities are recognised by Lincoln University with its top
achievement awards announced today.
The awards – one honorary doctorate and two medals – will be presented at the University’s Graduation Ceremony on Friday
2 May 2014.
“It is a pleasure to honour three individuals with different backgrounds, but with the same ambition to make a
significant difference for their respective communities,” says Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Andrew West.
“Peter Townsend, current chief executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce has been an advocate for
Canterbury businesses for many years. However it is his commitment to the business community following the Canterbury
earthquakes that we award him with an honorary doctor of commerce.
“The recipient of the Bledisloe Medal, which was initiated in 1930 by former Governor-General of New Zealand, the late
Viscount Bledisloe, is Professor Stephen Goldson; an excellent scientist, effective advocate for the applied sciences
and a skilled communicator. He is a genuine leader in the scientific community and is highly respected in both the
private and public sectors.
“The recipient of the Lincoln Alumni International Medal is a man who had a dedicated career to rural development and
natural resources work in Latin American. Dr Michael Nelson spent much of his early work centred on the search for
solutions to rural poverty and underemployment in tropical regions of Latin America.
“The Lincoln University Council was inspired by their passion, commitment and achievements and look forward to
officially honouring them at Graduation in May.”
Mr Peter Townsend, CNZM, Honorary Doctor of Commerce: Since 1996 Mr Peter Townsend has been the Chief Executive of the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, the largest
business support agency in the South Island. His commitment to the business community as a platform for regional
prosperity was most tested in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes. Following the September 2010 earthquake Mr
Townsend spoke on behalf of business when he proposed the creation of an Earthquake Support Subsidy from government, to
support the payment of wages to employees displaced from their workplace due to the earthquakes. Following the February
2011 earthquake the Earthquake Support Subsidy was reintroduced and increased. Part of the new post-earthquake approach
included setting up Recover Canterbury, with the Canterbury Development Corporation and central government, to provide
‘a safe pair of hands’ for businesses by connecting local businesses to a range of support services to help them
recover.
Professor Stephen Goldson, FRSNZ, ONZM, Bledisloe Medal: After completing his PhD in Entomology from Lincoln, Professor Goldson’s started his research career as an entomologist
in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Agricultural Research Division to work on the management of some of the
country’s most damaging exotic pasture pest species (especially weevils). This led to 25-years of focused and
well-supported, long-term ecological research. This work has led to very positive results and greatly reduced exotic
pest impacts on New Zealand’s pastoral ecosystems. The economic benefits run into hundreds of millions of dollars per
annum, but there are also on-going environmental benefits associated with reduced nitrogen pollution, and the avoidance
of the use of synthetic pesticides. As Professor Goldson’s career developed, he worked increasingly hard to support,
defend and promote the science needed for the future of this country. In 2009 he was recruited by Professor Sir Peter
Gluckman, Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister, as his principal advisor, focusing particularly on
agriculture and the environment.
Dr Michael Nelson, Lincoln Alumni International Medal: Lincoln University has had a long and varied association with the countries of Latin America. Among its University
graduates is Dr Michael Nelson, originally from Havelock North and now of Wanaka, who dedicated a 45-year career to
rural development and natural resources work in Latin America. From 1957 to 1988 Dr Nelson worked as an economist,
senior economist and programme director in several organisations, including Stanford Research Institute in the US,
Honduras and Argentina; Resources for the Future in Chile; Ford Foundation in Mexico; and the World Bank in Washington
DC. For six years he headed the Division of Natural Resources at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin
America in Chile. From 1988 until his return to New Zealand in 2007 Dr Nelson worked on a voluntary basis for the Centre
for Environmental Research and Planning in Santiago, Chile. In addition, as an independent consultant, he worked on
environmental issues for various international agencies, primarily the World Bank, in Latin America and South-East Asia.
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