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Fellows

On this webpage, we honor and celebrate the accomplishments and legacies of our Fellows and Honorary Fellows. Their work serves as a constant reminder of the vital role played by the Australasian Radiation Protection Society in ensuring radiation safety and fostering collaboration within the radiation protection community.

Our Fellows are distinguished members of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society who have exhibited exemplary leadership, expertise, and commitment to the field of radiation protection. Through their remarkable contributions, they have significantly influenced the practice, research, and education surrounding radiation protection in Australasia.

  • Dr. Riaz Akber
  • David Alexander
  • Peter Anothony
  • William Bartolo
  • Dr. Trevor Boal
  • Dr. Brad Cassels
  • Simon Critchley
  • Hefin Griffths
  • Frank Harris
  • Dr. Donald James Higson
  • Dr. Bruce Hocking
  • Assoc. Prof. Tony Hooker
  • Andrew Johnston
  • Prof. Peter Johnston
  • Dr. Kenneth Joyner
  • Dr. Graham Chesney Mason
  • Dr. Richard O'Brien
  • Dr. Michael Harry Repacholi
  • Brent Rogers
  • Dr. Ronald Rosen

Honorary Fellows

Honorary Fellows hold a special place in the Australasian Radiation Protection Society, as they have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the field of radiation protection beyond the Australasian region. These esteemed individuals have made significant impacts on a global scale through their exceptional leadership, research, and advocacy.

Assoc. Prof. Lee Thomas Collins, AM
Awarded: 31/10/2022

  • Professor Collins has nearly 100 publications including published papers, conference presentations and book chapters, in diverse fields covering ionising and non-ionising radiations ,ranging from particle deposition in dogs, to ultrasound, radiology and mammography, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and radiation protection.
  • His teaching expertise as led to several appointments as an Associate Professor in Medical and Medical radiation departments as Australian universities.
  • Professor Collins’s work with Standards Australia led him to appointments with the International Electrotechnical Committee and is still ongoing both as Chairman and committee member working on a diverse range of standards, for laser and optical safety.
  • Many overseas students have benefitted from his expertise both here and in their home countries with his work for the IAEA in training and safety which has involved over 25 overseas visits.
  • Member of the Order of Australia: For service to medical physics in Australia through the development of safety standards, by providing training in radiation safety, and through participation in professional organisations.

Assoc. Prof. Richard Campbell Smart
Awarded: 31/10/2022

  • Professor Smart was born and raised in Bristol, England and was educated in Birmingham, England. He attained his undergraduate degree in 1970 and then followed this up with a Master’s degree and then a Ph.D in 1971 and 1976 respectively.
  • Seeking fame and fortune in the colonies Professor Smart obtained a position (Nuclear Medicine) in Kogarah, Sydney at St George Hospital in late 1976.
  • Professor Smart was involved in radiation regulation at both the state level as a member of the NSW Radiation Advisory Council for 18 years and at an national level as a member of the inaugural Australian Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council (1999-2008) and as a member of the working parties which drafted many of the ARPANSA medical codes. He was involved in many teaching commitments with the IAEA throughout Asia in both medical physics and medical radiation protection. He was recently involved in UNSCEAR as a member of the Expert Group which prepared the 2020/21 Report on the Evaluation of medical exposure to ionizing radiation. A position that he held until retirement in 2012. This position was developed by Professor Smart during this period from primarily a Medical Physics role to a more comprehensive role combining medical physics and radiation safety across multiple sites in the area

Dr. Andrew Craig McEwan
Awarded: 29/11/2021

  • Dr. McEwan graduated from University of Canterbury with a BSc (Hons) in 1963, has a 1969 PhD in Medical Physics from Cambridge University and a 1982 Diploma in Health Administration from Massey University.
  • Scientist with the National Radiation Laboratory (NRL), an association that spanned almost 40 years until his retirement in 2002.
  • Time at the NRL, Dr. McEwan served as its director for 13 years from 1984, was a member of the Radiation Protection Advisory Council (1984–2002), served on a sub-committee of the New Zealand Atomic Committee (1980-86) and South Pacific Scientific Mission to Mururoa Atoll in 1983.
  • Dr. McEwan has an international reputation in radiation protection and dosimetry and has been involved in studies at several nuclear weapons test sites.
  • From 1997 to 2004 Dr McEwan was a member of a standing committee of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. He is a Fellow of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (serving as president 2000-2002) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
  • Dr McEwan’s brilliant book “Nuclear New Zealand”.

Dr. Keith Henry Lokan, PSM
Awarded: 29/11/2021

  • Dr. Lokan graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1955 and from the Australian National University in 1959 with a PhD in nuclear physics. After a few years at Harwell, then Melbourne and Adelaide universities, he began a career in radiation physics when he was appointed as head of an electron linear accelerator facility in the National Research Council of Canada. This laboratory in Ottawa supported Canada's radiation measurement standards.
  • Ten years later, in 1978 he returned to Australia to become Director of the Australian Radiation Laboratory (ARL), the forerunner of the present Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
  • Until his retirement in 1998, Keith was closely involved in the development of Australian radiation protection standards and guidance. He was actively involved in the assessment of the former UK nuclear weapons test sites in Australia and subsequently in their rehabilitation.
  • Dr. Lokan contributed internationally to the assessment of radiation issues as a member and one-time chair of UNSCEAR, and as a participant in scientific committees of the WHO, the IAEA and ICRP - especially those concerned with the remediation of sites contaminated with radioactivity.
  • Dr. Lokan is a Fellow of ARPS and was a member of its Executive Committee and President during the early 1990’s. 
  • Dr. Lokan was awarded the Public Service Medal 1995 for outstanding public service in radiological protection research, development and practice.
  • He continues to be a member of ARPS today.

Prof Pamela Joy Sykes
Awarded: 27/07/2015

  • Professor Sykes obtained her PhD in somatic cell genetics at the University of Adelaide and then undertook post graduate work at the University of Oklahoma (GO SOONERS!) on bacterial gene cloning before returning to Flinders University to study residual disease in childhood leukemia. She is a founding Fellow of the Faculty of Science in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australia. She is a frequent contributor at ARPS Annual Meetings.

Jill Fitch, PSM
Awarded: 20/09/2009

  • Jill Fitch completed her BSc at the University of Sydney (1957), and a Masters in Radiation Biology and Radiation Physics at the University of London, UK (1963)
  • In her early career Jill worked for 13 years as a medical physicist in hospitals in Australia, the UK and the USA, before returning to Australia in 1977 and taking up the position of Senior Health Physicist in the Radiation Control Section of the South Australian Health Commission.
  • Jill’s role in professional radiation safety societies included Chair of the SA Branch of the Australasian College of Physical Scientists and Engineers in Medicine (1983), President of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) (1984 -86), and Executive Council Member of the International Radiation Protection Association (1988-96).
  • During 1984 and 1985, Jill served as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia.  This work ultimately led to the effective clean-up of radioactive contamination at the Maralinga test sites.
  • Jill’s experience and broad knowledge of radiation protection saw her representing South Australia and Australia or providing expert advice in a number national and international committees or bodies, including the Commonwealth’s Radiation Health Committee and Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council, South Australia’s Radiation Protection Committee and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
  • During her time with the IAEA she participated in missions to Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand, and worked at the IAEA Division of Radiation and Waste Safety, Vienna, from June to December 2001.
  • Jill was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2003 For outstanding public service, particularly in the field of radiation protection.
  • Jill Fitch retired in February 2004 from the role of Director, Radiation Protection Division, Environment Protection Authority.

Raymond Joseph De Groot (1924 - 2010)
 Awarded: 29/06/1989

  • Following the war, Ray studied science at Melbourne University
  • Ray worked at the Bureau of Mineral Resources while he finished his studies and, with his knack for the zeitgeist, ended up being involved in uranium prospecting and radiation safety during the uranium boom of the fifties. In the early ’70s, Ray started to develop what was to become his post retirement career when, as he often joked, having spent years testing with the medical profession on humans, he finally decided that the radiation treatment of cancers and tumours was safe enough to use on animals. He worked with many vets around Australia introducing radiation treatment of animals and continued until finally closing the practice in his mid eighties.
  • He was a member of the Executive Committee, including ARPS President from 1982-84, when ARPS successfully bid to host the seventh international congress of IRPA held in Sydney in the bicentennial year of 1988. He served as ARPS Registrar for many years, was nominated as one of the fi rst two Fellows of ARPS, and served as chairman of the Fellowship Panel. In recognition of his devoted service to ARPS over many years, he was also elected as a Life Member.

James Charles Ezekiel Button (2012)
Awarded: 29/06/1989

  • Jim emigrated to Australia in 1963 and took up the position of Head, Health and Safety Division AAEC (now ANSTO).
  • Jim was one of the founding members of ARPS in 1973 and was the first Vice President.
  • He became the newsletter editor in May 1976 and formalised the newsletter in about January 1977 which eventually became the journal.
  • One of the major influences that Jim had was recommending that ARPS should become an affiliate of IRPA. ARPS was accepted by IRPA as a member society in February 1977.
  • Jim became the president of ARPS in 1977.
  • Jim was the scientific secretary of the organising committee of IRPA7 (1988) held in Sydney. The committee and Jim persuaded the IAEA to conjointly hold its radiation protection conference with IRPA7.
  • Jim was awarded the first ARPS honorary membership at the 14th Annual ARPS conference held in Perth 1989.
  • Another major highlight was that Jim was part of a group of professionals that argued for professional accreditation here in Australia and was part of the established accreditation working group that started at the conference in 1990.

Life Member

Life Members of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society (ARPS) hold a distinguished position within the organization, recognizing their exceptional contributions and valuable service to ARPS and the field of radiation protection over a significant period of time. Life membership is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the goals and objectives of ARPS and have made lasting impacts on the profession.

These esteemed individuals have dedicated themselves to promoting excellence, fostering collaboration, and enhancing the practice of radiation protection. Through their extensive knowledge, expertise, and tireless efforts, they have significantly contributed to the development and growth of the society and the broader radiation protection community.

Dr. Donald James Higson
Awarded: 22/09/2008

Dr. Higson was born in England and obtained a degree and PhD in chemical engineering from Imperial College, London.  He joined the Australian Atomic Energy Commission in 1964 and specialised in nuclear reactor safety assessment.  He has worked as a consultant to the IAEA on nuclear safety and safeguards.  He is editor of the ARPS Newsletter, which he founded in 1995 after his retirement from ANSTO, and now feels he should pass the job on to someone a lot younger.  He is a Fellow and Life Member of ARPS, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia and Secretary of the Nuclear Engineering Panel, and a Member of the International Nuclear Energy Academy.

Dr. Ronald Rosen, OAM
Awarded: 23/10/1996

Dr Rosen began his career in Wellington, where he earned a MSc degree in physics from the University of New Zealand. Following four years at the National Radiation Laboratory in Christchurch, he relocated to the University of New South Wales in Sydney, and became its first radiation protection officer. In addition to those duties, he undertook a detailed study of a nuclear reactor safety device, for which he was awarded a PhD degree. Subsequently he was appointed a senior lecturer in the School of Safety Science, where he taught the principles of radiation protection to many students, including attendants at the Australian School of Nuclear Technology.
Dr Rosen played a pivotal role in the 1975 establishment of the Australasian Radiation Protection Society ( ARPS), serving as its founding President. He was  a member of the Executive Committee for several years and convened some national conferences. He became an accredited  Fellow of ARPS. In 1984 he was appointed as the Vice President for Congress Affairs in the International Radiation Protection Association, leading an Australian team in hosting its 7th International Congress in Sydney in 1988. That significant event coincided with the Australian Bicentennial Year and the 60th anniversary of the formation of the  International Commission on Radiological Protection.
During his career, Dr Rosen represented Australian and New Zealand radiation protection interests both domestically and internationally. He served for nine years as a member of the NSW Radiological Advisory Committee, and was the Advisor on radiation protection to the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry.  He assisted in the preparation of codes of safe practice and the establishment of  professional competency standards.  His overall  contributions were acknowledged in 1996 when he was bestowed Life Membership of ARPS.  Following his retirement, he continued to take  an interest in ARPS affairs.
In 2012 Dr Rosen was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to science, particularly in the field of radiation protection, and to professional organizations.

In Memoriam

This section serves as a tribute to those who have made significant contributions to the field of radiation protection and are no longer with us. It is a way to acknowledge their lasting impact and ensure that their legacies are remembered.

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