Professor Emeritus Ralph Sims on the Manawatū campus.
The Sir Geoffrey Peren Award recognises and celebrates alumni with a long history of achievement who have provided meritorious service to the university, community or nation. The award is bestowed by the Vice-Chancellor, and commemorates the university’s founding Vice-Chancellor Sir Geoffrey Peren.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas says Professor Emeritus Sims is hugely deserving of this latest honour, which follows a string of professional accolades over the years.
“I think the university should be extremely proud of Ralph and all he has achieved here in Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad. His pioneering work in sustainable energy and climate mitigation is commendable, and his individual efforts have clearly made an impact on collective actions to make a better future for New Zealand and the world.
“Ralph’s work spans academic innovation, international consultancy and public engagement, and he’s a respected voice in guiding our future pathways toward sustainable development.”
Professor Emeritus Sims says it was a huge honour and a total surprise to receive the letter saying he had been given the award.
“The decades I’ve spent working at Massey have been most satisfying, with the sabbaticals granted enabling me to contribute internationally. I am very grateful to my many colleagues and past students for making my time here so rewarding, and to my wife Cathy. We were only married in Wales just two weeks before arriving at Massey for a three-year contract, but are very grateful to still be here.”
In 2021, Professor Emeritus Sims marked 50 years of working at Massey University. His first position after graduating in England, was at Massey as a lecturer in agricultural machinery when he began research on biofuels for transport.
During his tenure with Massey, Professor Emeritus Sims has held several positions and undertaken many international roles. In 2001, while on the Board of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), he helped establish Aotearoa New Zealand’s first energy efficiency and renewable energy strategy. From 2006 to 2010, he was seconded to the International Energy Agency in Paris. He chaired the panel of experts for the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s 2016 publication Transition to a low-carbon economy for New Zealand. He has been a lead author for five Mitigation Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2023, Professor Emeritus Sims became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sustainable energy and climate mitigation. He is also a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Professor Emeritus Sims will receive his award at a private event which will be held at Massey University’s Manawatū campus later in the year.
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