October 7, 2016

Hard work, intellect and talent recognised in 2016 Alumni Awards

From educating tomorrow’s future STEM leaders to working with NASA on the Hubble Telescope, UOW alumni are achieving big things in the outside world.

The 2016 UOW Alumni Awards, announced yesterday (Thursday 6 October), shone the spotlight on inspiring alumni who have taken on the world and made a remarkable impact.

Among this year’s award winners is Dr Ken Silburn, a global leader in the field of science education and the recipient of the Alumni Award for Professional Excellence. Last year Dr Silburn was recognised for his leadership and excellence in science teaching in secondary schools with the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science. This year, Dr Silburn was selected as one of 28 scientists and educators worldwide – and one of only six Australians, and six teachers overall – to participate in the NASA Spaceward Bound Program in India’s Ladakh region.

Dr Silburn founded the iSTEM program in 2012, giving high school students across Sydney’s South West and beyond a chance to meet like-minded peers and engage in activities not usually available in their schools: anything from robotics workshops, space labs, and tours of nuclear reactor facilities, to visits to universities and museums.

Young Alumni Award winner Larissa Robertson didn’t let pregnancy, birth, the loss of a multi-million dollar client or the loss of her business partners stop her from taking a failing business from near-bankruptcy to the Smart50 list of Australia’s fastest-growing small to medium enterprises.

“I love it. I love the freedom and choice to focus my effort on what I believe in. I love the challenges and I love breaking boundaries and changing social preconceptions of what is and what can be,” she said.

“I am so honoured and excited to receive this award. Not only is it a great personal achievement, it also represents a major shift in our society towards achieving positive social change.”

This year’s Research and Innovation Alumni Award category was taken out by Professor Peter Quinn, a world-renowned astrophysicist who has led outstanding research on the formation and evolution of galaxies and worked with NASA on the Hubble Telescope.

“As an astrophysicist, I have always been driven by the big questions that confront us in trying to understand the Universe we live in,” he said.

“Finding answers to these questions requires designing and building expensive and challenging new telescopes and data systems. Doing challenging 'big picture’ science also results in technological innovation, the growth of skills in our young people and opportunities for industry.”

The 2016 Alumni Award for Social Impact was given to Kate Swaffer, a globally recognised advocate for people living with dementia and a tireless champion of positive social change. Diagnosed with a rare form of dementia in 2008 hasn’t stopped Kate from influencing policy at the highest levels and returning to University to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy.

“In my role as Chair and CEO of a global organisation which is exclusively for people with dementia, that perhaps is the greatest gift and also the toughest challenge I have ever faced, as we are all people living with increasing cognitive disabilities,” she said.

“Whilst winning the Alumni Award for Social Impact is something I am very proud of, my greatest goals are still always to serve others and to be a nice person.”

L-R: UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings CBE, Mr Craig Osborne, Ms Eugenia Pyne (accepting the Fellowship on behalf of Mrs Sharyn Mackenzie OAM), Dr Kerrie Eyding, Mr Michael Cole, UOW Chancellor Ms Jillian Broadbent AO.

The event also recognised the addition of four University Fellowships.

Mr Michael Cole graduated with Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Economics before progressing to positions of power and influence as an economist, financial executive and company director. He has played a key role in assuring UOW’s financial health and prospects, and has helped steer the financing arrangements for the student accommodation expansion. A highly respected business man, Mr Cole holds a strong code of ethics and an enduring commitment to community, education and the land.

Dr Kerrie Eyding has tirelessly given to her community as a teacher and as a volunteer, an active member of the UOW Education Alumni Chapter for more than 15 years. Dr Eyding was instrumental in the introduction of a Mock Accreditation Interview Program for final year Education students. Unique to UOW, the mock interviews have given students the experience and skills to face the daunting Department of Education interviews which can determine their eligibility for appointment as teachers in NSW schools. As Kerrie has remarked, “It helps them understand the types of questions that will be asked and to also develop a mental scaffolding to answer them. Importantly, it assists students build up their confidence.”

Co-founder of Strategic Community Assistance to Refugee Families (SCARF), Ms Sharyn Mackenzie OAM holds a lifelong fascination and respect for different cultures and has devoted her work to enriching the lives of individuals. SCARF has grown from an office in her spare room and a small homework centre at Wollongong City Library to offer a remarkable range of services that include English for Adults, driver training programs, health and nutrition, recycling and waste management, traditional cuisine catering and even an African women's sewing circle.

Mr Craig Osborne was admitted as a Fellow for his professional and personal commitment to the Faculty of Law, setting a high benchmark for service to education, his profession and the community. Rising to Managing Partner of the Illawarra’s largest law firm, RMB Lawyers, Mr Osborne was instrumental in assuring RMB’s contribution to the Jack Goldring Scholarship which supports students with the passion and proven capacity to pursue law reform or social justice. He has been named Illawarra Business Person of the Year twice and received the 2005 Philip King Memorial Award, a national accolade for outstanding leadership to the legal profession.