Congratulations to ARPANSA CEO Dr Gillian Hirth AO who was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia on Monday 10 June 2024.
Dr Hirth AO was honoured for her 'distinguished service to environmental science, particularly radiation and nuclear safety, and to the development of national and international regulatory standards' as part of the King's Birthday 2024 Honours List.
Appointed CEO of ARPANSA in 2022, Dr Hirth AO is an internationally renowned expert in radiation protection and nuclear safety with broad experience in environmental management, nuclear materials, occupational exposure and radioactive waste.
'It is an absolute honour to receive this recognition of my work in an area I am so passionate about', said Dr Hirth AO.
'ARPANSA has a critical role to play in ensuring a safe radiation environment for Australia and protecting workers, patients and communities.'
'I am proud to be delivering on this purpose and ensuring international best practice is embedded into everything we do.'
Dr Hirth AO was one of 15 appointments as Officer of the Order of Australia in the General Division, among a total of 737 Australians recognised as part of the King's Birthday Honours List for 2024.
In addition to her work as an international leader in radiation protection and nuclear safety, Dr Hirth AO is also a mentor and advocate for women in nuclear and has a strong commitment to supporting the next generation of nuclear professionals.
'It is a privilege to play a role in the development of the next generation of scientists and regulators as we work to maintain strong protections for the Australian people and our unique environment', Dr Hirth reflected.
Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon Ged Kearney MP welcomed this announcement.
'I am delighted to see Dr Hirth AO receive this honour,' Hon Kearney MP said.
'Dr Hirth's award is recognition not only of her experience and eminence in the fields of radiation and nuclear safety, but also of her calibre as a leader. Dr Hirth is as significantly regarded by the international scientific community as she is here is Australia, and I commend her dedication to protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.'
About Dr Gillian Hirth AO
Dr Gillian Hirth AO was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of ARPANSA in March 2022.
Dr Hirth AO completed a PhD in environmental radiochemistry in 1999 and was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation before joining the Australian Defence Organisation.
In 2010, Dr Hirth AO commenced working at ARPANSA, developing codes and standard, investigating radionuclide activity concentration ratios in wildlife and fulfilling a series of leadership roles including Head of the Radiation Health Services Branch (from 2016).
Dr Hirth AO is the current Australian Representative to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and was Chair of UNSCEAR for the 66th, 67th and 68th sessions (2019-2022).
Dr Hirth AO is the current Australian representative on the Commission on Safety Standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the 8th term (2024 to 2027), having first been appointed in 2020, and was the Australian representative on the IAEA's Emergency Preparedness and Response Safety Standards Committee from 2015 to 2017. Dr Hirth AO is member of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Main Commission for the term 2021-2025 and a member of the Board of Council of the International Union of Radioecology.
