Shaun Hendy

MNZM FRSNZ
Hendy in 2021
Born
Shaun Cameron Hendy
EducationMassey University (BSc)
University of Alberta (PhD)
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics, nanotechnology, complex systems, innovation
InstitutionsIndustrial Research Limited
Victoria University of Wellington
University of Auckland
ThesisCosmic strings in black hole spacetimes (1998)
Doctoral advisorsV.P. Frolov
WebsiteToha profile

Shaun Cameron Hendy MNZM FRSNZ is a New Zealand physicist. He is the chief scientist at climate innovation company Toha.[1] He was previously a professor at the University of Auckland and was the first director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a centre of research excellence in complex systems and data analytics.[2] During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, he led a team of scientists developing mathematical models of the spread of the virus across the country that influenced the government's response to the outbreak.

Early life and education

Hendy was raised in Palmerston North,[3] and earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics in 1992, and a Bachelor of Science with first-class honours in mathematical physics the following year.[4][5] He went on to undertake doctoral studies in physics at the University of Alberta between 1994 and 1998.[3] The title of his PhD thesis was Cosmic strings in black hole spacetimes.[6]

Career

After completing his PhD, Hendy went to work at Industrial Research Limited in Lower Hutt on a New Zealand Science and Technology post-doctoral fellowship.[3] Hendy stayed on at Industrial Research until 2013. During that time, he also held a joint academic position at Victoria University of Wellington and served as deputy director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology based at the university.[3][7] He continued to be involved with the institute on researching properties of advanced materials as well as the application of mathematical models to innovation.[8]

Hendy has been a professor of physics at the University of Auckland. He led research on the computer modelling of nanostructures and how they could be applied to nanotechnology.[3] He left the university in October 2022.[9]

Te Pūnaha Matatini

Hendy was motivated to study the science of complex systems after hearing about the work of physicist Geoffrey West on the link between population distributions and innovation.[2] He was the founder and first director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a centre of research excellence in complex systems and data analytics, since 2015.[10] It is one of five centres of research excellence hosted by the University of Auckland. Te Pūnaha Matatini develops tools to analyse data from a range of social, economic and biological systems, to inform and evaluate government policy and decision-making.[10][11][12] In 2021 Hendy stepped down as the director of Te Pūnaha Matatini and as at 1 July 2021 Priscilla Wehi replaced him as director.[13]

Science communication

Hendy is known in New Zealand for his science communication, often contributing to publications such as The Spinoff and Sciblogs.co.nz to discuss his latest research and issues related to science policy.[14][15] He was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Science Media Communication in 2012.[16][17] He is a former president of the New Zealand Mathematical Society.[18]

In 2013, Hendy co-authored his first book with physicist Sir Paul Callaghan, discussing approaches to diversify and innovate New Zealand's economy.[19] He has written a book on the role of scientists in public discourse[20][21] and one on taking personal responsibility towards reducing the effects of climate change.[22][23] He has written about his experience of cutting out all air travel for a year in an effort to reduce his carbon footprint and why individual action matters.[24][25]

Coronavirus pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hendy led a team of scientists at Te Pūnaha Matatini to study the spread of infection under various mitigation scenarios. His team's modelling showed that if no measures were taken, the coronavirus could infect 89 percent of the New Zealand population and kill 80,000 people. Subsequently, his team's advice to the government contributed to strong suppression measures across the country.[26] His team continues to update their models based on new information and demonstrate the impact of the government's strict lockdown measures.[27][28] In 2020 towards the end of the country's four-week lockdown, Hendy recommended it to be extended by two weeks to achieve the goal of eliminating the virus.[29][30] He expressed concern about New Zealand's Anzac Day long weekend (25–27 April) encouraging a rise in social activity if the lockdown were eased before then, potentially spreading the virus further.[30] His data and recommendations were among those considered by the government on 23 April before announcing the decision to extend the strict lockdown until 11:59pm on 27 April.[31]

In late December 2021, Hendy and epidemiologist Siouxsie Wiles filed a complaint with the Employment Relations Authority against the University of Auckland for allegedly not protecting them from abuse by anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination elements. According to the Authority, the pair had been harassed at home and work, and also received vitriolic personal responses. The pair had been raising concerns about their personal safety to the University since April 2020. The University of Auckland had responded by issuing a written statement in August 2021 advising them to minimise their public commentary and social media interaction; which Hendy and Wiles regarded as insufficient. The Employment Relations Authority also expedited their complaint, allowing it to proceed to the Employment Court, and ordered the University to pay their legal costs.[32] Hendy settled with the university when he left employment there.[9]

"Listener Seven" controversy

In late July 2021, Hendy and Wiles co-authored an open counter-letter disagreeing with seven fellow University of Auckland academics, who had penned a letter in the New Zealand Listener current affairs magazine arguing that mātauranga Māori (Māori indigenous knowledge) was incompatible with science. Hendy and Wiles contended that mātauranga Māori complemented Western knowledge systems. Their letter also asserted that the diminishing role of indigenous knowledge in science was contributed to exclusion and exploitation. Hendy and Wiles also claimed that mistrust in science was fuelled by science's role in perpetuating scientific racism, colonialism, and injustice.[33] By 30 July, Hendy and Wiles' counter-letter had attracted more than 2,000 unverified signatures.[34]

Awards and honours

Books and selected publications

Books

  • Hendy, Shaun; Callaghan, Paul T. (2013). Get off the Grass: Kickstarting New Zealand's Innovation Economy. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. ISBN 978-1-86940-762-9. OCLC 851179155.
  • Hendy, Shaun (2016). Silencing Science (1 ed.). Bridget Williams Books. doi:10.7810/9780947492847. ISBN 978-0-947492-84-7.
  • Hendy, Shaun (2019). #NoFly Walking the Talk on Climate Change. Bridget Williams Books. ISBN 978-1-988587-05-9.

Selected academic publications

References

  1. ↑ "Shaun Hendy". Te Pūnaha Matatini. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Our story". Te Pūnaha Matatini. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Professor Shaun Cameron Hendy". University of Auckland. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Weir, Graham (April 2014). "Shaun Cameron Hendy" (PDF). NZMS Newsletter. New Zealand Mathematical Society (120): 16–17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Faculty of Science". University Calendar. University of Auckland. 2020. Archived from the original on 18 June 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  6. ↑ Hendy, Shaun Cameron (1998). "Cosmic strings in black hole spacetimes". PHDT: 3517. Bibcode:1998PhDT........46H.
  7. ↑ "People | School of Chemical and Physical Sciences". www.wgtn.ac.nz. Victoria University of Wellington. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Associate Investigators". The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  9. 1 2 Borissenko, Sasha (5 November 2023). "What's at stake as Covid expert Siouxsie Wiles takes on Auckland University in the Employment Court this week". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Centres of Research Excellence – The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Complex Economic and Social Systems | Te Pūnaha Matatini". www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "Complexity and the Biosphere | Te Pūnaha Matatini". www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Priscilla Wehi". www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Shaun Hendy". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Shaun Hendy". Sciblogs. Archived from the original on 22 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Shaun Hendy – Get off the Grass – May 2014". Venture Centre. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 "Victoria physicist named top science communicator". www.wgtn.ac.nz. School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington. 28 November 2012. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  18. ↑ "New Zealand Mathematical Society : Membership and Council". nzmathsoc.org.nz. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  19. ↑ Hazledine, Tim (11 September 2013). "Book review: Get off the Grass, by Shaun Hendy and Paul Callaghan". www.noted.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "Silencing Scientists: Shaun Hendy on why science should be 'open'". RNZ. 11 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Are New Zealand's scientists too scared to say what they think?". Education Central. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "#NoFly | BWB Bridget Williams Books". www.bwb.co.nz. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  23. ↑ Macdonald, Nikki (6 October 2019). "Physicist Shaun Hendy maps the lows, highs and sleepless buses of a no-fly year". Stuff. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  24. ↑ Hendy, Shaun (4 November 2019). "No fly zone: I didn't catch a plane for a year and saved 19 tonnes of Co2". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  25. ↑ Morton, Jamie (20 September 2019). "Covering climate now series: What I learned in my no-fly year". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  26. ↑ Newton, Kate (27 March 2020). "The man modelling NZ's Covid-19 spread from his kitchen table". RNZ. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  27. ↑ Morton, Jamie (9 April 2020). "Covid 19 coronavirus: New data reveals bullet NZ dodged by locking down when we did". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  28. ↑ Manhire, Toby (9 April 2020). "New modelling reveals the impact of lockdown, and the hopes for elimination". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  29. ↑ "Lockdown should be extended two weeks: virus tracker". Otago Daily Times Online News. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  30. 1 2 "Lifting Covid-19 lockdown: Long weekend breaks 'a risky thing to do' – virus modeller". RNZ. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  31. ↑ Manhire, Toby (20 April 2020). "NZ to exit alert level four after Anzac weekend, Jacinda Ardern reveals". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  32. ↑ Kapitan, Craig (3 January 2022). "Shaun Hendy, Siouxsie Wiles file complaint against University of Auckland". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  33. ↑ Wiggins, Amy (29 July 2021). "Experts Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles among those rejecting claim Māori knowledge isn't science as 'scientific racism'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  34. ↑ Sowmand-Lund, Stewart (30 July 2021). "Live updates, July 30: 2,000 sign open letter response on mātauranga Māori and science". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  35. ↑ "New Year Honours List 2021". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2020. Archived from the original on 30 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  36. 1 2 "ANZIAM : The 2013 EO Tuck Medals". www.anziam.org.au. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  37. ↑ "Recipients". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  38. ↑ "New Zealand Association of Scientists – 2010–2015 Awards Recipients". scientists.org.nz. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
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