Honouring the memory of Professor Dabing Zhang
Three ginkgo trees have been planted in the Waite Arboretum to honour the memory of Prof. Dabing Zhang.
He joined the University of Adelaide as a Joint Professor with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in January 2015 and was tragically killed in a car accident in 2023.
Dabing was a renowned biologist. He was Director of the University of Adelaide – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Laboratory on Plant Science and Breeding. His research primarily focused on cereal development, including the identification of novel regulators governing reproductive architecture, male fertility, and responses to environmental cues such as temperature, photoperiod and mechanical signals, and genetically modified organism (GMO) biosafety assessment. At the time of his death, he was ranked in the top 0.1% of plant and animal scientists cited globally.
Dabing was known for his support to students and colleagues. He was kind as well as dedicated to his work. He projected happiness, calm and inner peace. He was always warm and welcoming, sharing a smile.
Dabing promoted links between researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Adelaide, between the Universities at the top level, and between the peoples of China and Australia. He clearly had attachment to both universities and both countries.
The ginkgoes will stand as a lasting memorial to Dabing, hopefully for a century or more. They can be found behind the Gatehouse in the Arboretum.
Obituaries can be found at https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/SeedBio-2023-0011, https://futurecropscentre.edu.au/dabing-zhang-2/ and https://www.adelaide.edu.au/staff/news/news/list/2023/07/06/vale-professor-dabing-zhang.
