The AONSA Prize 2015
The Selection Committee (SC) for the AONSA Prize 2015 received multiple nominees by thenomination deadline (June 30, 2014) and intensively reviewed them for a few months. All of thenominees made significant contributions to the field of neutron scattering in the Asia-Oceania region
and are highly qualified, reflecting the quality of neutron science in the Asia-Oceania Region. Finally
the SC nominated Professor John W. White as a recipient to the 13th AONSA Executive Committee
Meeting held in Serpong, Indonesia on October 16, 2014 and the SC’s nomination was officiallyapproved. The recipient will be awarded a certificate, a medal and monetary prize (US$5,000) at thePrize Ceremony to be held during the 2nd AOCNS (July 19-23, 2015) in Manly/Sydney, Australia.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------John William White
Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University
Citation: “For his seminal contributions to the use of neutrons in understanding molecules atinterfaces, molecular crystals and self-assembly, for his visionary leadership in establishing the AsiaOceania neutron scattering community and state-of-art neutron facilities including OPAL, and for his
devoted mentoring of young scientists.”
John W. White received his BSc from the University of Sydney in 1957, his MSc from Oxford
University in 1959 and his PhD from the same institution in 1962. He was a University Lecturer andFellow of St John’s College from 1963-1985, during which time he began his leadership role in theneutron scattering community as Neutron Beam Coordinator at Harwell (1973-1974) Adjoint Director(1974-1977) and then Director (1981-1982) of the ILL. He returned to Australia in 1985 as Professorof Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the Australian National University in 1985.
Over the course of 50 years in neutron scattering, through a combination of advances inexperimentation and choice of paradigm examples, John’s work has shown how the rich information

in the neutron scattering law can be analysed to provide precise details of molecular structure anddynamics on the picosecond time scale, for a wide variety of chemical systems.
John became closely engaged with the Australian neutron scattering community immediately upon his
return in 1985. He was largely responsible for introducing SANS and neutron reflectometry as
experimental techniques to the Australian chemistry, biology and physics communities. John led thecharge to build the AUSANS instrument at the HIFAR reactor source, and pushed strongly for thedevelopment of a reflectometer there. When the idea of a replacement for HIFAR - the present OPAL
research reactor - was first raised, John emerged as its most politically influential and effectiveadvocate. He represented the case to the Australian Government on behalf of the Australian Academyof Science and the National Commission on Crystallography at a series of enquiries through the1990’s (ASTEC Review, McKinnon Enquiry, Senate and the Senate Select Committee). The case for
OPAL in its final form, as developed by ANSTO, was appraised by an Australian Academy ofScience committee that he led, which formulated advice to the government on policy, siting,environmental impact and user access.
More recently, John has been a major driver in building an Asia-Oceania neutron scatteringcommunity to the mutual benefit of all its member countries. His direct involvement began on theAsian Crystallography Association Council in the early 1990’s, shortly after its founding, and theInternational Advisory Panels for KEK and JAERI, which led to his appointment as Chair of theInternational Advisory Committee for the J-PARC Project in Tokai, Japan. John was the President of
AONSA from 2010–2012.
Perhaps most importantly, through a combination of his exemplary science and his promotion ofneutron techniques, John has been responsible for launching the careers of a large part of the current
generation of Australian neutron scatterers. University departments, ANSTO and other neutronlaboratories throughout the world are populated with his former students, postdocs and others whom
he informally mentored over the last 30 years. The legacy of his leadership will be felt in Australia
and throughout the Asia-Oceania region for many years to come.