The University of Western Australia has another winner - the sixth in 40 years - in a big international essay prize that is open to young agricultural and resource economists anywhere in the world.

Many plant breeding projects - such as those aiming to increase food production - depend on getting ‘pure lines' of plants but this can take a lot of time as, up until now, it depended on self-pollination for several generations.

New York University Stern School of Business Professor David Yermack will explain the financial effects of CEOs' holidays in a public lecture at The University of Western Australia's Business School.

Professor Yermack, a visiting professor at the UWA Business School, will present his findings on trends in news announcements made by public companies before, during and after chief executives go on holiday.

He will also explain how these patterns in public announcements can create trading opportunities for investors.

A young marine biologist with a passion for diving and film making has been singled out as a future leader of the underwater environment as the 2013 Our World-Underwater Australasian Rolex Scholar.