Student project takes out state spatial science award

USQ spatial science student, Clinton Caudell, was recently awarded the Clem Jones Medal for Tertiary Undergraduate Excellence at the Queensland Spatial Excellence Awards.

Awarded for the first time this year, the Clem Jones Medal is sponsored by the Clem Jones Estate and is presented to a student whose thesis or student project is relevant to current issues, demonstrates technical prowess, is significant to the spatial science industry and is of an exceptional quality.

Clinton’s project looked at how to map boundaries in Papua New Guniea that are more closely aligned with traditional cultural definitions of ownership, rather than the imposed Western-style of boundary currently being used.

The father of six said he was honoured to receive the prestigious award.

'For me personally, it was a genuine honour to be nominated for the Award. I had heard anecdotally that my project was considered by some in PNG as being very valuable, relevant and useful, so to have the same recognition from my peers in Australia’s spatial science industry was very rewarding,' he said.

'To then go on to win the award was such a pleasant surprise – in a very real sense it was a reward not only for me but also for my wife and children, whose support, patience and perseverance lasted throughout the whole degree.

'Getting the award has made me wonder how much further I could take the project, so it is on my list of possible topics for a doctorate I would like to start next year. Regardless though, I would like to see the results and recommendations from my project tested in PNG, and I am currently talking to contacts there about possible trials.'

As the award winner, Clinton’s project will now be judged at the Asia-Pacific Spatial Excellence Awards (APSEA) in November. These awards will also include work from students in New Zealand.

Dr Clem Jones AO was a surveyor, and Brisbane’s longest serving Lord Mayor. He introduced town planning, sealed roads, improved drainage and connected sewers to Brisbane throughout the 1960s. He was a renowned philanthropist, and his legacy continues today through his Estate.

Contact Details:
Connie-Louise Rego, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2977