Medals for Distinguished Service awarded to Göran Sandberg, Mårten Carlsson and Mariana Braga
Each year, SLU awards three Medals for Distinguished Service – the Great Medal, the Gold Medal and the Silver Medal. This year’s recipients are Professor Göran Sandberg, Professor Mårten Carlsson and Researcher Mariana Braga, respectively.
Göran Sandberg, professor of plant physiology, has been a professor at both SLU and Umeå University, vice-chancellor of Umeå University and is currently a director of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Mårten Carlsson has been a professor of horticultural business economics at SLU and served as the university's vice-chancellor for twelve years. Mariana Braga studies the ecology and evolution of insects, specialising in butterflies, and is a researcher at the Department of Ecology in Uppsala.
The SLU Medals for Distinguished Service will be conferred at the doctoral award ceremony on 4 October.
The medals were introduced following a decision by the SLU Board in April 2009. They were awarded for the first time in 2010. The SLU Board also decides who will receive the medals.
The Great Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded for research efforts deemed ‘remarkable from an international perspective’. The smaller Gold Medal for Distinguished Service awards ‘exemplary, exceptional efforts of lasting value’. The Silver Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded to a young, promising talent at SLU who is encouraged to continue in the same exemplary manner in the future, ‘preferably within the innovation and collaboration field’.
SLU’s Great Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to Professor Göran Sandberg. He is recognised ‘for his highly meritorious contributions to scientific progress on a broad scale within plant science, at a national and international level. In 1981, he obtained his doctorate in botany at SLU, where he was appointed professor in 1989. Since then, he has worked tirelessly for knowledge and innovation with a unique ability for innovative thinking, often by showcasing the work of young researchers. Göran Sandberg was involved in starting the successful collaboration the Umeå Plant Science Centre and, in his role as a director of the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, has contributed greatly to positioning Sweden as a research nation.’
The Gold Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to Professor Mårten Carlsson. He is recognised ‘for his exceptional work both within SLU and on the international stage, always keeping the university’s interests at heart. A qualified agronomist, he served as SLU's vice-chancellor from 1982 to 1994, playing a decisive role in bringing together agriculture, forestry and horticulture. Since his retirement, he has continued to work for the success of the entire university and personifies SLU's mission with his great commitment to its priorities, and to the university itself.’
The Silver Medal for Distinguished Service has been awarded to Researcher Mariana Braga. She is recognised ‘for her distinguished work on understanding biodiversity and ecological interactions. She uses innovative computational tools with significant applications in both basic and applied biodiversity research, and works at the intersection of ecology, evolutionary biology and computer science. Through her work, she is paving the way for future advances in biodiversity and sustainability at SLU.’
Press images
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Göran Sandberg. Photo: KAW/Magnus Bergström
Mårten Carlsson. Photo: Jenny Svennås-Gillner
Mariana Braga. Photo: Jenny Svennås-Gillner
