Honorarium
We regret to inform members that one of our Board of Editors, Hannah Williams, died in June 2012 after several months of illness. Although she was with the Journal a relatively short period of time, she managed to help shepherd manuscripts through the editing process, and we are grateful for her wisdom and guidance.
Hannah was an Associate Professor, teaching Food Science & Technology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Curtin University, West Australia (WA). She had great expertise and strong interests in seafood, particularly crustacea, and in sensory evaluation. Her work was exceptional, and she was renowned for her professionalism. Her interest was in the basic sciences, but she always had an eye to solving practical industry problems and to develop applied research projects for Honours and Master's students. She was principal investigator on many research grants and had supervised six PhD/MPhil research students in addition to completing several food industry consultancies. She conducted groundbreaking research for the WA seafood industry, particularly in regard to value-addition to the Western rock lobster industry. Further, she went back to basic theory to solve the problems and prepare guidelines for correct cooking procedures for rock lobster to prevent post-process melanin formation. In addition, she was active in wine quality and sensory evaluation research.
She was well liked by her students and was a helpful and willing colleague. Hannah was also a passionate teacher, striving for excellence. In 2007, as undergraduate Course Coordinator, Hannah led the Food Science and Technology team in benchmarking the BSc Food Science & Technology course at Curtin University against the USA Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Undergraduate Education Standards. In 2009, she was awarded the Curtin University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Excellence in Teaching award for “Educational Partnerships and Collaborations with other Organisations.” This award was a result of her leading role in the development of a course funded by the Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) program to provide secondary school Home Economics teachers with professional development to train them in delivering Food Science and Technology courses in schools. During 2007 and 2009, Hannah was actively involved in the national review of food science education through the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST), including being an invited speaker in 2010 on food science education at the AIFST National Convention and at the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.
Hannah was a great supporter of the AIFST, an active advocate of its benefits for students, and an organizer of international student visits to IUFoST meetings in China and South Africa. She herself joined first as a student member in 1997, a professional member in 2004, a Councillor from 2006−2009, Branch committee member from 1999−2011, Branch secretary from 2009−2010, Newsletter Editor from 2009−2011, Vice-Chair in 2007, and Chair in 2008. These roles represent an enormous contribution to the AIFST, both to the WA branch and nationally. Her great contribution has been recognized formally through a special AIFST award to Hannah and through renaming the Curtin University Undergraduate Food Science and Technology award to the “Hannah Williams AIFST Undergraduate Food Science and Technology Award.”
These achievements are indicative of her enthusiasm, guidance, dedication, knowledge, and her humor, and she will be much missed by her colleagues who looked to her as a stabilizing influence. This Journal will feel her loss also as a thoroughly fair and hardworking editor and reviewer. She is survived by her husband Mike and her two children, and our thoughts go out to them.