August 27, 2021

UOW Vice-Chancellor and Alumni named 2021 Advance Awards finalists

Prestigious Award recognises outstanding achievements of Australians and graduates of Australian universities globally

University of Wollongong (UOW) Vice-Chancellor, Professor Patricia M. Davidson has been nominated as a finalist along with fellow UOW alumnus, Dr Sameer Dixit, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the world using their skills and knowledge at the 2021 Advance Awards.

The Awards inspire and support international career paths and provides the bridge to enable skills and knowledge acquired overseas to be leveraged for the nation's benefit.

Professor Patricia M. Davidson, Advance Awards Education and Research category

Professor Davidson is a leader in health and nursing and having worked extensively in healthcare, her expertise and contributions to the field has been exemplary. Before joining UOW as Vice-Chancellor, Professor Davidson has held various global leadership positions and most recent being the Dean of Nursing at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, USA.

As a global leader in nursing, health care, and advocacy, her work focuses on person-centred care delivery and the improvement of cardiovascular health outcomes for women and vulnerable populations.

Professor Davidson is a believer in education and research as transformative forces to make a difference in the world and is actively involved in contributing to issues that are key to providing easy accessibility to education and enhances human development.

“I believe education and research to be an important aspect of our lives as they have and will provide answers to challenging and complex issues, Professor Davidson said.

“I am humbled and equally proud to be recognised for our work alongside a UOW alumni, Dr Sameer Dixit.”

Dr Sameer Dixit, Advance Awards Alumni category

UOW alumni, Dr Sameer Dixit is a passionate biomedical researcher and has been nominated in the ‘Alumni’ category of the Awards.

He graduated from UOW with a Master of Science (Biotechnology) in 1996 with a passion to address and transform public health in his home country, Nepal.

Dr Dixit secured his PhD in Biotechnology from Western Sydney University before moving to Nepal.

In 2007, he Co-founded Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN), an independent not-for-profit organisation leading a revolution in research to drive evidence-based policy making for the benefit of people, animals and the environment. He has grown the independent institute into an organisation that employs 60 researchers and staff, who collaborate with the Nepali Government, World Health Organisation and other researchers on public health, and wildlife conservation.

He has been working closely with the Nepalese Government to identify and respond to major epidemics in the country.

Dr Dixit applied his skills and expertise gained from his international studies and collaborations to find solution to the causes of communicable and non-communicable diseases negatively impacting the development of his country.

Dr Dixit is also passionate about fighting corruption and is actively involved in the anti-corruption movement in Nepal. In 2019, he was awarded the ‘Alumni Award for Social Impact’ by UOW for demonstrating significant impact on the community.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 8^th September at 7:30 pm AEST by Advance Awards.