The Committee for the Outstanding New Researchers Award – the J.H. Michell Medal – is pleased to recommend that the 2009 Medal be presented to Dr Scott McCue of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology

Scott earned his PhD from the University of Queensland, under the supervision of Prof. Larry Forbes, and then worked in postdoctoral research positions at the University of Nottingham under Prof. John King, then at the University of Wollongong under Prof. Jim Hill. Scott took up his first lecturing position at Griffith University in 2004, and moved to his present position at QUT in July 2007.

Scott's research is characterized by wide ranging contributions over topics including free and moving boundary problems in fluid mechanics and heat transfer, and the continuum modelling of granular materials. The major contribution of Scott's research is towards understanding singular phenomena that arise in heat conduction problems accompanied by a change of phase, commonly referred to as Stefan problems. With the use of formal asymptotics, Scott has described a number of limiting behaviours in some detail, such as the two- and three-dimensional extinction problems, associated Hele-Shaw flow limits, and finite-time blow-up that occurs when surface energy effects are included in the formulation. In addition, he has applied complex variable techniques and boundary integral methods to analyse free surface flows past surface piercing objects, with particular attention to the effect of constant vorticity on the flow fields. He has also derived a number of exact solutions to plasticity-type models that describe the flow of granular materials and the deformations of soils.

Scott has published in a number of prestigious international journals, including Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (A), the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, the Quarterly Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, the Journal of Engineering Mathematics, Physics of Fluids and the IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics. He has edited a Special Issue for the Journal of Engineering Mathematics, and is an editor for the ANZIAM Journal. He has supervised honours, masters and PhD students. He has proven himself as an outstanding mentor for the applied mathematics discipline, especially for the not so strong students.

Scott has been an active member of ANZIAM. He has served on the ANZIAM Executive Committee and been President of QANZIAM (Queensland Branch of ANZIAM) since the beginning of 2006

The Committee strongly recommends Dr Scott McCue for the 2009 Michell Medal. His research contributions and strong commitment to applied mathematics have singled him out as an outstanding young member of our discipline.

The committee consisted of:

• Mick Roberts (Chair)
• Larry Forbes
• Mark Nelson