The Hector Medal, formerly known as the Hector Memorial Medal,
[ is a science award given by the ]Royal Society Te Apārangi
The Royal Society Te Apārangi (in full, Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi) is an independent, statutory not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities.
History
The R ...
in memory of Sir James Hector
Sir James Hector (16 March 1834 – 6 November 1907) was a Scottish-New Zealand geologist, naturalist, and surgeon who accompanied the Palliser Expedition as a surgeon and geologist. He went on to have a lengthy career as a government employe ...
to researchers working in New Zealand. It is awarded annually in rotation for different sciences – currently there are three: chemical sciences; physical sciences; mathematical and information sciences. It is given to a researcher who "has undertaken work of great scientific or technological merit and has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the particular branch of science." It was previously rotated through more fields of science – in 1918 they were: botany, chemistry, ethnology, geology, physics (including mathematics and astronomy), zoology (including animal physiology). For a few years it was awarded biennially – it was not awarded in 2000, 2002 or 2004.
In 1991 it was overtaken by the Rutherford Medal as the highest award given by the Royal Society of New Zealand.
The obverse of the medal bears the head of James Hector and the reverse a Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
snaring a huia
The huia ( ; ; ''Heteralocha acutirostris'') is an extinct species of New Zealand wattlebird, endemic to the North Island of New Zealand. The last confirmed sighting of a huia was in 1907, although there was a credible sighting in 1924.
It ...
. The last confirmed sighting of a living huia predates the award of the medal by three years.
Recipients
See also
* :New Zealand scientists
* The Shorland Medal
The Shorland Medal is awarded annually by the New Zealand Association of Scientists in recognition of a "major and continued contribution to basic or applied research that has added significantly to scientific understanding or resulted in signific ...
given by the New Zealand Association of Scientists
The New Zealand Association of Scientists is an independent association for scientists in New Zealand. It was founded in 1941 as the New Zealand Association of Scientific Workers, and renamed in 1954Gregory, G., 2013. Not to be forgotten: New Ze ...
* List of chemistry awards
This list of chemistry awards is an index to articles about notable awards for chemistry. It includes awards by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, the Society of Chemical Industry and awards by other organizations.
...
* List of mathematics awards
This list of mathematics awards is an index to articles about notable awards for mathematics. The list is organized by the region and country of the organization that sponsors the award, but awards may be open to mathematicians from around the wor ...
* List of physics awards
This list of physics awards is an index to articles about notable awards for physics.
The list includes lists of awards by the American Physical Society of the United States, and of the Institute of Physics of the United Kingdom, followed by a lis ...
References
External links
Hector Medal
Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi
{{Lists of New Zealanders
Science and technology in New Zealand
New Zealand science and technology awards
Science and technology awards
Royal Society of New Zealand
Chemistry awards
Physics awards
Mathematics awards