Mark Ryan wins the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation

Dr. Mark Ryan was awarded the Creative Industries Faculty Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation (2009) on the 8 July in recognition of excellence by an early career researcher (ECR) for the impact and utilisation of his research by the media and industry.

Mark is an ECR, completing his PhD one year ago, who has 20 HERDC works published or accepted for publication. In addition to his productivity, Ryan’s research into genre movies like horror, and the future of filmmaking, has received significant public exposure.

In 2009, Mark’s research received over 120 media stories in broadcast, print and online media worldwide – including the BBC’s World Service, the UK’s Daily Mail, Channel 7, Daily India, Sky News, ABC Radio, Triple J, and The Australian. Ryan’s research received media coverage in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Pakistan, The Philippines, and New Zealand among others.

During this period, Mark was a consultant for a Channel Nine episode of the 20 to 1 television series hosted by Bert Newton; he was an honorary speaker for the Gallery of Modern Art’s Dead Country: Australian Horror Classics movie festival; he was a member of national radio panels including Australia Talks to discuss cinema and popular culture; and was commissioned by the ABC to review the 2009 Oscars. Ryan’s research has resulted in the establishment of horror movies as a fledgling field of study within Australian film studies.

His research has also generated considerable publicity for both QUT and the Creative Industries Faculty. The widespread adoption and impact of his research is testament to its exemplary quality, but also Mark’s ability to make research accessible for a general audience.