August 2026 CSIRO Alumni newsletter
In this month’s newsletter you can read about the history of CSIRO as we celebrate our centenary, register for online and in-person events, hear stories from our archivist and alumni members and sign up for courses.
Our Centenary story
As we mark our centenary as Australia's national science agency, our story is not one but many, told over generations through science in the service of our nation and beyond.
Solutions-led science recognised among 2026 Eureka Prize finalists
From a groundwater monitoring system that will revolutionise the way industries and utilities manage water quality to engineering AI for better diversity and inclusion outcomes and developing marine heatwave forecasting for rapid response, finalists in this year’s awards show the solutions science can deliver.
Expert commentary: El Niño
Beyond the headlines, there is more to understand about the variety of natural climate phenomena that combine to contribute to major natural events.
Help grow our alumni network
We now have over 5,200 members but we know that there are many more former colleagues out there. Help us build the alumni network and forward this newsletter on or share the link to alumni registration.
Many presentations and seminars are now being held online – so you can attend from the comfort of your own home. Our alumni calendar lists both CSIRO and external events, so you can find out about a wide range of events.
Promote your own events
To help connect alumni with one another, we encourage you to list your own events on our website. Let us know if you are organising, presenting or attending events and we can help promote it to the alumni network – please email alumni@csiro.au
Career advice from CSIRO Alumni
We hosted another event in our series for CERC Fellows. We are very grateful to the alumni members who volunteered their time to talk to our researchers and have had great feedback on how much it was appreciated.
We heard from a panel of CSIRO Alumni talking about their career journeys after working at CSIRO. It was a great opportunity to hear about roles outside of the organisation and potential career options.
If you would be keen to join a future panel and talk to our CERC Fellows about your career journey, please contact alumni@csiro.au
This year we’re capturing the stories, people and moments that have shaped Australian science. If you have a memory, reflection, photograph or artefact from your time at CSIRO that you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.
You might like to share:
Your contribution could help preserve CSIRO’s history for future generations. With your permission, stories, images and artefacts may be featured in Centenary communications or considered for inclusion in the CSIRO archives. Email alumni@csiro.au
We feature a range of alumni stories on our website celebrating the achievements of our members. We encourage members to get in touch and send in their stories of trials and tribulations – all in the name of scientific research!
So, if you have received an award, written a book or have any stories that you'd like to share with the alumni network, please email alumni@csiro.au
Meet Paul Fraser: Fifty-two years observing atmospheric change
When Paul Fraser joined CSIRO in 1974, scientists were only beginning to build a reliable picture of atmospheric change in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 50 years on – spanning over half of CSIRO’s first century – his work has helped shape how greenhouse gases are measured, understood and tracked globally.
CSIRO Alumni Beau Broen – winner of ‘Person of the Year’ at the World Hydrogen Awards 2026
We are proud to announce that one of our CSIRO Alumni members, Beau Broen has won the ‘Person of the Year’ award at the World Hydrogen Awards. This recognition is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the global hydrogen sector over the last 12 months.
Flyttr Acquires RapidAIM
Dr. Nancy Schellhorn originally worked at CSIRO as a Principal Research Scientist and is the co-founder and CEO of RapidAIM .
Commenting on the acquisition, she said “we’re thrilled. Joining Flyttr opens new opportunities for RapidAIM to expand worldwide and together continue the mission to use cutting-edge IoT and AI solutions that set new standards in the fight against pest threats. Our commitment to our customers remains unchanged, and now with the support of Flyttr, we can accelerate innovation, expand our offerings and bring greater value for every customer who relies on us.”
You can also read our original interview with Nancy Schellhorn.
On a sadder note, if you would like to let the alumni network know about the passing of one of our members, please email us and we can post a notice to the news page and also feature an obituary within our stories section.
We invite alumni members to add their own tributes, so please contact alumni@csiro.au if you would like to share your memories of them.
Vale Professor Peter Buckskin PSM FACE
Sadly, we acknowledge the passing of Professor Peter Buckskin, a proud Narungga man from the Yorke Peninsula, respected educator, leader, and advocate whose impact will be felt for generations to come.
CSIRO’s Education and Outreach team were proud to work alongside Professor Buckskin as the Cultural Patron of ASSETS, in Adelaide, as part of the Indigenous STEM Education Project. His leadership, generosity, and commitment to creating opportunities for young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in STEM inspired so many and left a lasting legacy.