World-class ANU scientists join the best of the best at the Academy

Two exceptional scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to science. 

Professor Mark Howden and Professor Rob Mahony have been elected Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science. 

Both experts, elected by their peers, are among the most distinguished scientists in Australia. 

Globally recognised climate scientist, Professor Mark Howden, has shaped national and international climate policy through his work on climate adaptation, greenhouse gas inventories development and developing informed pathways for emissions reduction.  

Howden is a key contributor to multiple IPCC Assessment Reports since 1991, sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC participants and Al Gore. 

With over 440 publications, his work on climate adaptation, risk assessment and policy solutions has guided decision-makers at every level.  

Under his leadership between 2021 and 2025, the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, has secured over $15.6 million in research grants, educational programs and consultancy agreements. 

For Howden, the fellowship is a way to both pay back and pay forward to the scientific community. 

“The fellowship is an opportunity to contribute to the academies’ discussions, acknowledge the contributions of colleagues, and to help develop the next generation of scientists,” he says.  

“Collaboration and mutual respect in scientific endeavours are important. The opportunity to contribute and participate in discussions with other experts, and people that I respect deeply, is something I highly value.” 

Howden’s early interest in science, driven by a curiosity about how things work and a desire to make impactful science, was heightened by his mother’s insistence on his becoming someone useful to society. 

“I was always interested in how things work, particularly in the natural world, and my mum always used to drum into me the idea of becoming someone useful,” he says. 

“So, my career is a sort of version of merging those two things, where I’m making science useful and exploring how you discover knowledge and wisdom. 

“And then, how do you implement that in ways that make it a better world?” 

Howden says there is slower-than-desired progress in addressing climate change despite known solutions.  

“There’s still a strong need for behavioural and policy changes to manage climate risks effectively,” he says.  

“That’s why making science useful is so important and why I get such personal satisfaction from addressing these big problems we face as a society.” 

Professor Rob Mahony from the ANU School of Engineering has wide-spanning research interests in non-linear control theory with applications in robotics, geometric optimisation techniques, and systems theory.   

The unifying theme in Mahony’s career is the application of the principles of symmetry and geometry to real-world applied engineering and applied mathematics problems.    

Mahony was one of the trailblazers in the development of aerial robotic vehicles in the nineties and an early champion of the quadrotor that has become the mainstay of the multi-billion-dollar commercial drone industry.

Mahony developed the Mahony filter, that became the major enabling technology in the early years of the drone industry and has led to the most significant advances over the last half century in Inertial Navigation Systems with applications in underwater, terrestrial, and space vehicles, as well as aerial vehicles.  

Mahony has worked closely with open-source code communities and says the fellowship is an opportunity to promote the support of these communities and the role they serve in translating research outcomes into technology. 

“It is an honour to become a fellow, and I am grateful for the recognition. I will use the fellowship to continue my commitment to creating societal impact through my research,” Mahony says.  

For Mahony, the fellowship is also an opportunity to contribute to higher degree research education at ANU and the wider Australian community by developing educational material to help students understand how to achieve impact.  

“My goal is to improve higher degree research education by sharing my experience and understanding of how to plan for societal impact without compromising your research career.” 

Mahony’s early love for science stems from his enjoyment of pure mathematics during his bachelor’s degree at ANU.   

“I just wanted to work on problems that were, you know, directly relevant to making society a better place.”   

As ANU didn’t yet have an engineering school when he studied, Mahony studied geology and first worked as a marine seismologist.  

Returning to ANU in the early nineties, Mahony completed his PhD in the Systems and Control department at the Research School of Physical Science and Engineering. 

The full details of the 2025 Australian Academy of Science Fellows are available on the AAS website.