2023 Alumni Award for Professional Excellence
Master of Indigenous Health (2006)
Through her professional and academic excellence, dedicated service to rural and remote communities, and commitment to closing the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing, Professor Faye McMillan FPS has made a considerable contribution to our society.
A proud Wiradjuri woman, Faye was the first Indigenous Australian to hold a Western degree in pharmacy and become a registered pharmacist. In a rich career that has taken her from rural and community pharmacy to academia, she has championed improving Indigenous healthcare across professions, with a particular focus on mental health.
Faye is a founding member and past chair of the Indigenous Allied Health Network. She has provided strategic advice to government and community through diverse forums, including working to increase access to rural health services and address rural workforce shortages as Deputy National Rural Health Commissioner. She has served on numerous boards and advisory groups, harnessing each influential role to generate positive change for First Nations Peoples and the wider community.
A dedicated researcher, teacher, mentor, and lifelong learner, Faye is driven by the notion that education changes lives. She is currently a Professor in the Faculty of Health at UTS and holds adjunct appointments with the University of NSW, James Cook University and Charles Sturt University, where she led the Djirruwang Aboriginal Mental Health Worker Education and Training Program alongside numerous prominent fellowships.
Faye has earned many accolades recognising her impact and excellence, including being named NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year and among the Who’s Who of Australian Women and 100 Women of Influence. She was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in 2021 and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s Pharmacist of the Year in 2022, and this year was the first Indigenous Australian to receive the prestigious Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship.
Professor Faye McMillan is an accomplished and influential professional who has dedicated her career and life to improving Indigenous and rural healthcare, and is a shining inspiration to our alumni and university community.