Douglas Partners is pleased to spotlight an important moment from the recent Australian Geomechanics Society (AGS) Sydney Symposium, where the Don Douglas Youth Fellowship Award was presented to Stephanie Salim (PSM) in recognition of the best paper by a young geotechnical professional in 2024.
The award honours the legacy of Don Douglas, founding Managing Director of Douglas Partners and recognises outstanding contributions to geomechanics by early-career professionals under the age of 35. The Fellowship is awarded biennially to the author of the most highly ranked paper at the ANZ Young Geotechnical Professionals Conference.
The Fellowship Award carries a cash amount of $4000, which goes towards expenses in attending the next international YGP conference event.
Stephanie’s paper, titled:
“Sustainable Design and Construction in Western Sydney: Repurposing Tailings Dams for Industrial Commercial Development in Western Sydney”
co-authored with Jeremy Toh, David Piccolo, and Pells Sullivan Meynink, explores how legacy tailings structures can be transformed into safe, sustainable, commercially viable industrial land—a topic of increasing relevance across Western Sydney’s rapid growth corridor.
The award was presented at the AGS Sydney Symposium on 14 November 2025 by Bruce McPherson, Regional Manager – Sydney at Douglas Partners, alongside AGS Director Dr Amir Shahkolahi.
Bruce McPherson said the Fellowship continues to underscore the industry’s commitment to innovation, professional development, and honouring the achievements of early-career practitioners:
“Don Douglas built Douglas Partners on the foundations of technical excellence and investing in people. It’s inspiring to see those values reflected in the next generation of geotechnical professionals. Stephanie’s work demonstrates the practical thinking and environmental stewardship our industry needs.”
Douglas Partners congratulates Stephanie and her co-authors for their contribution to advancing geotechnical knowledge and sustainable development in Australia.