Professor Dianne Edwards wins the Frances Hoggan Medal 2021

Professor Dianne Edwards, Distinguished Research Professor in Palaeobotany from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences,  has won the Frances Hoggan Medal 2021.

The Frances Hoggan Medal recognises and celebrates the contribution of outstanding women connected with Wales in the areas of science, medicine, engineering, technology or mathematics. Professor Edwards received the award for her research into Palaeozoic plant species.

Professor Edwards’ research focuses on the history of land plants on Earth, revealing insights into the evolutionary process by which plants colonised the land and how they affected the soil and air of that era. Her work on fossil records has led to the identification of many land plant species that existed over 400 million years ago.

On receiving the medal, Professor Edwards said: “Over the past 50 years, I have been privileged to receive support from Cardiff University and a variety of funders to pursue my interests on the history of plants on Earth. Encouraged by this award, I am hopeful that such research, today called discovery science, will continue to be possible for young scientists to enable them to enjoy its delights.”

Awarded by the Learned Society of Wales, the Frances Hoggan Medal is named after a pioneering medical practitioner, researcher and social reformer from Brecon, who played a significant role in the battle for women in the UK to study medicine in the nineteenth century. The Learned Society of Wales is the national academy for arts and sciences, bringing together experts from across all academic fields and beyond.