Howard See Award 
for Early-Career Rheologists

The Howard See Award is named in honour of Dr Howard See (1963-2010), Associate Professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney. It is awarded by the Australian Society of Rheology (ASR) to a young, prominent rheologist who has distinguished herself/himself in research or practice of rheology in Australia or New Zealand. The Award consists of a formal certificate and a cash award of $1000.

Eligibility criteria

1. The nominee must be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia or New Zealand at the time of nomination.
2. The nominee must have completed their terminal degree no more than 15 years prior to the year of the Award, with allowable extensions for career interruptions (see below).
3. Nominees would normally be financial members of ASR. The ASR Council retains discretion to waive this requirement where the nominee's broader contributions clearly advance the Society's objectives.

Career interruptions (extensions to the eligibility window)

Eligibility windows may be extended by a period commensurate with the interruption, including (but not limited to): parental leave (primary carer up to two years per child, inclusive of leave), caring responsibilities, disability/medical conditions, disruption due to international relocation, disaster management/recovery, unemployment, and limited/no access to facilities (e.g. workplace closure). The nomination should make the case for the extension of the eligibility window.

How to nominate

1. Nominations must be made by a current member of the ASR. Self-nominations are not permitted.
2. Each nominator may submit only one nomination per year.
3. The nomination package must include:
   • Nominator's citation (maximum 2 pages) making a clear case for the nominee's contributions to rheology (scientific/technical advances, training/mentoring, collaborations, and/or industry impact), written for non-specialist rheologists/engineers.
     • Up to 10 key achievements (100 words or fewer each) may be listed, stating the nominee's role/contribution.
   • A brief summary of the nominee's contributions to the rheology community in or from Australia, which may include mentoring, industrial impact, collaborative work, knowledge sharing, and where applicable engagement with ASR activities (e.g. Council contributions, organization attendance/presentations at AMAR/AKRC/ASR seminars, etc.).
   • Curriculum Vitae (no page limit).
4. Nominations must be addressed to the Chair, Awards Committee, received by the stated deadline, and will be shared with all Committee members.

Where to send nominations
Email nominations to: Prabhakar Ranganathan, Chair, Awards Committee
prabhakar.ranganathan@monash.edu

Deadline (for AMAR 2026, Sydney)
Nominations must be received by 31 March 2026.
Nominations received after this date will be considered for the 2027 Award.

Selection process

The Awards Committee considers the merits of the nomination package (citation including achievements, and CV), focusing primarily on the nominee's research/practice excellence and impact in Australia/New Zealand. The Committee may carry forward an unsuccessful nomination from the prior year with a refreshed citation (provided the nominee remains eligible), and may decide not to make an Award in a given year. No individual may be nominated more than three times in total. The Committee reaches a decision before the end of the financial year and conveys its recommendation to the ASR Council for formal approval. The ASR President informs the successful awardee. The Awardee must have a current ASR membership to receive the Award. The Award is announced via ASR channels and presented at the AGM, and the Awardee delivers an Award lecture at the Annual Meeting or at the AKRC (preferably introduced by the nominator). A list of past recipients is maintained on the ASR website.

Full rules

Howard See Award Rules (PDF) (Version date: 26-01-2026)

About Howard See

Howard See was a rheologist and an active member of the Australian Society of Rheology (ASR). Born on 28 July 1963 in Sydney, Australia, he completed a Bachelor of Science (Pure and Applied Mathematics) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) before moving to Japanfor graduate studies (Masters in Tokyo and PhD in Nagoya). He developed strong interests in suspension rheology and field-responsive materials and technology, particularly electrorheological fluids, during his time at Bridgestone in Japan. In 1998 he moved to the University of Sydney, where he was eventually promoted to Associate Professor. He served on the ASR Council and was also a member of the Society of Rheology (SOR). He served on the editorial boards of the Korea-Australia Rheology Journal (KARJ) and the Journal of the Society of Rheology Japan, and played a critical role in organising the 5th Australian-Korean Rheology Conference (KARC) in Sydney in 2009. Sadly, after a normal working day at the university, his life was brought to an abrupt end by an aortic dissection on 15 February 2010. The ASR instituted the Howard See Travel Grant in his honour in 2010. In 2026, the Society created an Early Career Rheologist award and named it the Howard See Award, recognising a career that exemplified both scientific contribution and generous service to the rheology community. The travel grants continue under a different name.

Source: Ahmad Jabbarzadeh's obituary for Howard See