The University recognises outstanding achievement, exceptional service and significant contribution through the granting of the following honorary awards; Honorary Doctorate, Emeritus Professorship, University Fellowship and Community Fellowship.
Honorary alumni
Christine McLoughlin AM
Honorary Doctor of the University of Wollongong
Christine McLoughlin AM is a trailblazing Australian business leader and advocate for diversity, whose transformative leadership has shaped major companies, advanced education, and empowered women athletes.
Tara June Winch
Honorary Doctor of Letters
A celebrated Miles Franklin award-winning author, Tara June Winch is a proud First Nations woman whose acclaimed works explore Indigenous identity, language revitalisation, and Australia’s history, profoundly shaping national literature and inspiring new generations of writers.
Dr Debra Keenahan
Honorary Doctor of Letters
Dr Debra Keenahan is an artist, psychologist, and disability advocate whose multidisciplinary work challenges stereotypes, explores the lived experience of dwarfism, and promotes empathy and inclusion through art, scholarship, and public engagement.
Emma McKeon AM
Honorary Doctor of Health Sciences
Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, is celebrated for her resilience, sporting excellence, and advocacy. Overcoming setbacks, she set Olympic records, excelled as a UNICEF ambassador, and inspired youth as 2024 Young Australian of the Year, embodying dedication, transformation, and service beyond the pool.
2025 University Fellows
Graham Lancaster AM
University Fellow
Graham Lancaster is a distinguished solicitor, business and community lead whose decades of mentorship, legal service, and dedication to developing Illawarra’s emerging leaders have left a lasting legacy of integrity, empowerment, and positive change throughout the region.
2025 Emeritus Professors
Professor Colin D Woodroffe
Emeritus Professor
Professor Colin Woodroffe is a renowned coastal geomorphologist whose pioneering research on coastal environments and sea-level change, extensive publications, and leadership in IPCC reports have shaped global understanding and inspired generations of scientists.
Honorary Alumni Chapter
The Honorary Alumni Chapter is a network of alumni who have been awarded either a University Fellowship, an Honorary degree or an Emeritus Professorship from the University of Wollongong. The Chapter meets regularly to discuss and organise ways in which they can support the University through advocacy, projects and activities.
Find out more about the UOW Honorary Alumni Chapter