The Board of the General Sir John Monash Foundation has announced that Professor Peter Darvall AO has been elected as a Director of the Foundation. Peter has had a distinguished career in civil engineering and was at Monash University for 33 years, during which time he was the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, responsible for research and development and information technology, a position he held , and Vice-Chancellor and President of Monash University. He has been a Board member of the Prince Henry’s Institute for Medical Research, Montech, the Victorian Strategic Industry Foundation (SIRF), the Baker Medical Research Institute, the Institute of Reproduction and Development, three Cooperative Research Centres, and the Board of Melbourne Water.
Peter was Chairman of the Victorian Selection Panel for the John Monash Scholarships until 2009, and joined the National Awards Committee for 2010. With his election as a Director, he has taken on Chairmanship of the National Awards Committee, effective from 16 March 2011, succeeding Mrs Yolanda Klempfner AO, who led the Panel since 2003. In welcoming Peter to the Board, Foundation Chairman Jillian Segal AO paid tribute to Mrs Klempfner's contribution:"The Board is delighted that Professor Darvall, one of Australia's foremost engineers and bringing outstanding experience of the university and research sectors, will be leading our selection process. Peter takes over a process established by Yolanda Klempfner, which has selected 64 outstanding young Australian leaders over the last eight years. The Foundation and its Scholars are grateful to Yolanda for her insight and energy over this critical time for the Scholarships."