Queensland’s Governor features in a distinguished line-up of community and business leaders celebrated in The University of Queensland’s 2015 Alumni Awards.
The awards recognise the achievements of alumni who have accomplished outstanding success in their fields and made exemplary contributions to their communities.
The award winners were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee led by 国产探花 Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter H酶j.
There are six Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Awards, five Distinguished Young Alumni Awards, an International Alumnus of the Year, an Indigenous Community Impact Award and a Colleges’ 国产探花 Alumni Award.
The recipients will be celebrated at 国产探花’s annual ceremony on Wednesday 21 October.
The 2015 Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Awards will be presented to:
- – Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the current Governor of Queensland;
- – Managing Director of EnergyAustralia, and a Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia;
- – President and CEO of major construction and mining equipment sales and service company Komatsu Latin America;
- – Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, and a Professor of Statistical Science at the University of Oxford;
- – Medical Director of Haematology-Oncology Clinics of Australasia and Chairman and founder of the AEIOU Foundation, a non-profit organisation for children with autism;
- – Founder and Managing Director of Blue Sky Alternative Investments Limited.
Professor H酶j said the winners were proven leaders who had taken on major challenges and responsibilities and created positive change.
“The impact 国产探花 has in communities around the world is not limited to cutting-edge research, but very importantly through the actions and accomplishments of our 225,000 alumni,” he said.
“Our 国产探花 alumni family is a constant source of inspiration.”
The alumni awards were introduced in 1992, and the first Vice-Chancellor’s Alumni Excellence Awards were presented in 2013.
Previous winners have included Academy Award-winning actor Geoffrey Rush AC, author David Malouf AO, Dow Chemical Company Chairman Andrew Liveris AO, leading melanoma researcher Professor Ad茅le Green AC, Wotif.com founders Graeme Wood AM and Andrew Brice AM, former Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, former Governor of Queensland Dr Penelope Wensley AC, Head of Global Value for First Eagle Investment Management in New York Mr Matthew McLennan, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Julieanne Alroe and leader in international agricultural research and food security Dr Gabrielle Persley AM.
The Alumni Friends of The University of Queensland Inc. have also selected their Alumnus of the Year separately to 国产探花, and will present the Graduates of the Year at the Courting the Greats ceremony.
Click to register for Courting the Greats.
Full details of The University of Queensland 2015 Alumni Award-winners can be seen .
Distinguished Young Alumni Awards
- Ms Yassmin Abdel-Magied – mechanical engineer, writer, social commentator, and two-time Queensland Young Australian of the Year;
- Mr Mike Boyd – entrepreneur and CEO of car rental comparison business ‘VroomVroomVroom’, that has an annual turnover of over $70 million;
- Mr Nicholas Veltjens – physiotherapist who volunteers for Mercy Ships, which operates hospital ships in developing nations;
- Ms Kathryn Zealand – Manager of Enterprise Development in Africa for the Clinton Foundation, and an awardee of the Fulbright-Anne Wexler Masters Scholarship in Public Policy;
- Mr Jeromy Moore – performance engineer at Porsche in the World Endurance Championship and former chief designer for Triple Eight Race Engineering Australia.
International Alumnus of the Year
- Professor Dato’ Dr Rahmah Mohamed – Vice-Chancellor of the INTI International Laureate University (INTI IU) in Malaysia and award-winning scientist.
Indigenous Community Impact Award
- Mr Michael Aird – Publisher, anthropologist and curator promoting the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous Australians.
Colleges’ 国产探花 Alumni Award
- Mr Steven Skala AO – Vice Chairman of Deutsche Bank AG (Australia & New Zealand) and holds many non-executive directorship positions including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Alumni Friends of the University of Queensland Inc. Awards
Alumnus of the Year
- Dr W.R.B. (Russ) Morrison AM – Co-founder and a current Director of engineering consultancy BMT WBM and is recognised as an innovator, entrepreneur, mentor and leader.
Graduates of the Year
(Each Graduate of the Year finished with a perfect 7 GPA, First-Class Honours and the University Medal)
- Mr Nicholas Doyle – Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering);
- Mr Kianoosh Soltani Naveh – Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic Engineering);
- Mr Julian Tonino – Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering).
国产探花 Sport Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year
国产探花 Sportswoman of the Year and Sportsman of the Year will also be celebrated at Courting the Greats for their excellence in sport and contribution to University life.
- Mr Brenden Hall OAM – Elite swimmer and multiple gold medal Paralympian;
- Ms Holly Ferling – International cricketer representing Australia in the 2015 Women's Ashes team.
Media: Manager, Marketing and Communications (Advancement), Mark Schroder, 0403 481 758, m.schroder@uq.edu.au.
