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Larry MacIntyre
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Last modified: Wednesday, January 19, 2011

President of the Australian National University receives IU's Benton Mural Medallion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 19, 2011

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie on Tuesday presented the university's Thomas Hart Benton Mural Medallion to Ian Chubb, president and vice chancellor of the Australian National University, that nation's highest-ranked institution of higher education.

The Benton Mural Medallion is the highest award that Indiana University presents to people who are external to the university. Chubb received the medal in recognition of his distinguished achievements in higher education, both nationally and internationally and specifically in partnership with IU.

"That the Australian National University continues to be recognized as one of the leading and most highly ranked universities in the world is due in large measure to the leadership and drive of Ian Chubb," McRobbie said. "During his presidency, he accomplished a major re-invigoration of ANU that has kept it at the forefront of international higher education. I am especially pleased that such a productive relationship is developing between ANU and Indiana University. I am very pleased to present him with this award."

McRobbie presented the medallion to Chubb on Tuesday (Jan. 18) during a reception at the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., attended by Kim Beazley, Australia's ambassador to the U.S., and others.

Chubb was instrumental in establishing a close partnership between ANU and IU. The first product of that linkage was the creation in 2009 of the IU-ANU Pan Asia Institute, which brought together each institution's expertise in different parts of Asia. The institute offers conferences and faculty exchanges and has linked instructors and students on two continents for language instruction in Indonesian and in Mongolian.

In November 2010, IU and ANU finalized an agreement to offer an advanced degree in translational science, a field committed to developing efficient and effective processes for the speedy application of research in medicine and the life sciences. The initiative also will create study-abroad opportunities for students and joint research programs that draw on the strengths of ANU and Indiana University.

Chubb was appointed vice chancellor of the Australian National University in January 2001, having previously been vice chancellor of Flinders University. A neuroscientist as well as a university administrator, he has published widely, taught science and medicine at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and supervised research students. For his service to higher education, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1999 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2006.

The Australian National University (ANU) was founded by an act of the Australian Parliament in 1946. It enrolls 16,715 students, nearly 40 percent of them at the postgraduate level.

The bronze Benton Mural Medallion features a portion of the famous Thomas Hart Benton mural in the IU Auditorium on one side and the seal of the university on the other. Criteria for recipients include distinction in public office or service, a significant relationship to Indiana University or Indiana, significant service to IU programs, students or faculty, significant contributions to research or support for research. A certificate is presented when the medal is given.