Shaun Hendy Explained

Shaun Hendy
Birth Name:Shaun Cameron Hendy
Fields:Physics, nanotechnology, complex systems, innovation
Workplaces:Industrial Research Limited
Victoria University of Wellington
University of Auckland
Education:Massey University (BSc)
University of Alberta (PhD)
Thesis Title:Cosmic strings in black hole spacetimes
Thesis Url:https://search.library.ualberta.ca/catalog/2173027
Thesis Year:1998
Doctoral Advisors:V.P. Frolov
Website:Toha profile

Shaun Cameron Hendy 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. 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. 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. 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.[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. 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

See main article: Listener letter on science 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

Selected academic publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Shaun Hendy. Te Pūnaha Matatini. 30 April 2023.
  2. Web site: Our story. Te Pūnaha Matatini. 2020-04-23. 14 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200414222143/https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/about-us/. live.
  3. Web site: Professor Shaun Cameron Hendy . University of Auckland . 2020-04-23.
  4. Shaun Cameron Hendy . NZMS Newsletter . 120 . 16–17 . Graham . Weir . April 2014 . New Zealand Mathematical Society . 26 April 2020 . 17 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200117153209/https://nzmathsoc.org.nz/downloads/profiles/NZMSprofile120_Shaun_Hendy.pdf?t=1410647807 . live .
  5. Book: University Calendar . Faculty of Science . 2020 . University of Auckland . 26 April 2020 . 18 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200618142830/https://www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz/en/university-personnel/faculty-of-science.html . live .
  6. Hendy. Shaun Cameron. 1998. Cosmic strings in black hole spacetimes. PHDT. en. 3517. 1998PhDT........46H.
  7. Web site: People School of Chemical and Physical Sciences . Victoria University of Wellington. www.wgtn.ac.nz. 2020-04-23. 30 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230330182807/https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scps/research/research-groups/compnanotech/people. live.
  8. Web site: Associate Investigators. 2019-02-09. The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. en-NZ. 2020-04-23. 6 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200506124914/https://www.macdiarmid.ac.nz/our-people/associate-investigators/. deviated.
  9. News: What's at stake as Covid expert Siouxsie Wiles takes on Auckland University in the Employment Court this week . Sasha . Borissenko . 5 November 2023 . . 8 November 2023.
  10. Web site: Centres of Research Excellence – The University of Auckland. www.auckland.ac.nz. 2020-04-25.
  11. Web site: Complex Economic and Social Systems Te Pūnaha Matatini. www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. 2020-04-25.
  12. Web site: Complexity and the Biosphere Te Pūnaha Matatini. www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. 2020-04-25. 14 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200414224254/https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/about-us/our-research/complexity-and-the-biosphere/. live.
  13. Web site: 2021. Priscilla Wehi. 2021-06-30. www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz. 6 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231106025929/https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/priscilla-wehi/. live.
  14. Web site: Shaun Hendy . The Spinoff. 2020-04-25. 13 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200513084357/https://thespinoff.co.nz/author/shaun-hendy/ . live.
  15. Web site: Shaun Hendy . Sciblogs . 2020-04-25 . 22 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200422161545/https://sciblogs.co.nz/author/ameasureofscience/. dead.
  16. Web site: Shaun Hendy – Get off the Grass – May 2014 . Venture Centre . 8 November 2023.
  17. Web site: Victoria physicist named top science communicator . School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington. www.wgtn.ac.nz. 28 November 2012. 2020-04-23. 25 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211125041852/https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/scps/about/news/news-archives/2012-news/victoria-physicist-named-top-science-communicator. live.
  18. Web site: New Zealand Mathematical Society : Membership and Council. nzmathsoc.org.nz. 2020-04-25. 17 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200117151754/https://nzmathsoc.org.nz/?membership. live.
  19. Web site: Hazledine . Tim . 11 September 2013 . Book review: Get off the Grass, by Shaun Hendy and Paul Callaghan . www.noted.co.nz. en. 2020-04-23. 21 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421055147/https://www.noted.co.nz/archive/archive-listener-nz-2013/book-review-get-off-the-grass-by-shaun-hendy-and-paul-callaghan. dead.
  20. Web site: Silencing Scientists: Shaun Hendy on why science should be 'open'. 2016-05-11. RNZ. en-nz. 2020-04-23. 21 October 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201021044537/https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201800273/silencing-scientists-shaun-hendy-on-why-science-should-be-%27open%27. live.
  21. Web site: Are New Zealand's scientists too scared to say what they think? . Education Central . en-NZ. 2020-04-23. 21 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200221103301/https://educationcentral.co.nz/are-new-zealands-scientists-too-scared-to-say-what-they-think-2/. dead.
  22. Web site:
    1. NoFly BWB Bridget Williams Books
    . www.bwb.co.nz. en. 2020-04-23. 21 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421094159/https://www.bwb.co.nz/books/hashtag-no-fly. live.
  23. Web site: Physicist Shaun Hendy maps the lows, highs and sleepless buses of a no-fly year. Macdonald. Nikki. Stuff. 6 October 2019. en. 2020-04-23. 29 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200729034540/https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/116310946/physicist-shaun-hendy-maps-the-lows-highs-and-sleepless-buses-of-a-nofly-year. live.
  24. News: Hendy. Shaun. No fly zone: I didn't catch a plane for a year and saved 19 tonnes of Co2. 2019-11-04. The Guardian. 2020-04-25. en-GB. 0261-3077. 14 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200414042227/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/05/no-fly-zone-i-didnt-catch-a-plane-for-a-year-and-saved-19-tonnes-of-co2. live.
  25. News: Morton. Jamie. Covering climate now series: What I learned in my no-fly year. 2019-09-20. The New Zealand Herald. 2020-04-25. en-NZ. 1170-0777. 9 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200409172514/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12269340. live.
  26. Web site: The man modelling NZ's Covid-19 spread from his kitchen table. Newton. Kate. 2020-03-27. RNZ. en-nz. 2020-04-23. 21 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200421085649/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/412744/the-man-modelling-nz-s-covid-19-spread-from-his-kitchen-table. live.
  27. News: Morton. Jamie. Covid 19 coronavirus: New data reveals bullet NZ dodged by locking down when we did. 2020-04-09. The New Zealand Herald. 2020-04-23. en-NZ. 1170-0777. 23 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200423080755/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12323880. live.
  28. Web site: New modelling reveals the impact of lockdown, and the hopes for elimination. Manhire. Toby. 2020-04-09. The Spinoff. 2020-04-23. 30 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200430033528/https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/09-04-2020/new-modelling-reveals-the-impact-of-lockdown-and-the-hopes-for-elimination/. live.
  29. Web site: Lockdown should be extended two weeks: virus tracker. 2020-04-20. Otago Daily Times Online News. en. 2020-04-23. 25 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200425093233/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/lockdown-should-be-extended-two-weeks-virus-tracker. live.
  30. Web site: Lifting Covid-19 lockdown: Long weekend breaks 'a risky thing to do' – virus modeller. 2020-04-20. RNZ. en-nz. 2020-04-24. 23 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200423220359/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/414627/lifting-covid-19-lockdown-long-weekend-breaks-a-risky-thing-to-do-virus-modeller. live.
  31. Web site: NZ to exit alert level four after Anzac weekend, Jacinda Ardern reveals. Manhire. Toby. 2020-04-20. The Spinoff. 2020-04-24. 23 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423001614/https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/20-04-2020/ardern-announces-alert-level-four-alert-level-three/. live.
  32. News: Kapitan . Craig . Shaun Hendy, Siouxsie Wiles file complaint against University of Auckland . 24 January 2022 . . 3 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220105040314/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/shaun-hendy-siouxsie-wiles-file-complaint-against-university-of-auckland/JPIUINTAUXI2TDC3K45JC4IDOA/ . 5 January 2022. live.
  33. News: Wiggins . Amy . Experts Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles among those rejecting claim Māori knowledge isn't science as 'scientific racism' . 16 January 2022 . . 29 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211107140255/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/experts-shaun-hendy-and-siouxsie-wiles-among-those-rejecting-claim-maori-knowledge-isnt-science-as-scientific-racism/QQSKY6Y2CBP7ONYRXXL3VUUBN4/ . 7 November 2021. live.
  34. News: Sowmand-Lund . Stewart . Live updates, July 30: 2,000 sign open letter response on mātauranga Māori and science . 16 January 2022 . . 30 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211207204907/https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/30-07-2021/live-updates-july-30-pay-talks-resume-as-nurses-reject-latest-offer . 7 December 2021. live.
  35. Web site: New Year Honours List 2021 . 31 December 2020 . . 31 December 2020 . 30 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201230193321/https://dpmc.govt.nz/publications/new-year-honours-list-2021 . live .
  36. Web site: ANZIAM : The 2013 EO Tuck Medals. www.anziam.org.au. 2020-04-23. 23 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200323083345/https://www.anziam.org.au/The+2013+EO+Tuck+Medals. live.
  37. Web site: Recipients. Royal Society Te Apārangi. 2020-04-23. 8 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200808151939/https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/medals-and-awards/callaghan-medal/recipients/. live.
  38. Web site: New Zealand Association of Scientists – 2010–2015 Awards Recipients. scientists.org.nz. 2020-04-23. 15 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200115222642/https://scientists.org.nz/2015. live.

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