January 28, 2022

Australia Day honours for alumni and academics

Fifteen UOW alumni have been named in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List

Fifteen UOW alumni have been named in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List – our congratulations for their outstanding achievements go to:

• David William Gruen (pictured above) Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to public administration, to economic research, to business, and to education. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by UOW in 2017.
• Rear Admiral Jaimie Charles Hatcher DSC AM RAN – Order of Australia (AO, Military Division) - For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force in senior command roles.
• The late Cindy Joy Berwick Member of the Order of Australia (AM)- For significant service to the Indigenous community of New South Wales, particularly through education.
• Commodore Donald Leslie Dezentje CSM RAN – Member of the Order of Australia (AM, Military Division) - For exceptional service to the Royal Australian Navy in senior command positions in the fields of aviation and personnel management.
• Captain Simon John Bateman Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC, RAN) – For outstanding achievement in the development of the Australia-India bilateral defence relationship as the Australian Defence Adviser to India.
• Lieutenant Colonel Damon Carl Higginbotham Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) - For outstanding achievement as Commanding Officer Health Support Unit 1 deployed to Victoria during Operation COVID-19 ASSIST and on the COVID-19 Honour Roll.
• Sergeant Lawrence George Lucas - Australian Police Medal (APM) for policing professionalism across the Illawarra region and other state-wide deployments, workplace health and safety, incident and emergency management, the return to work of injured and ill workers and police protocol duties, erstwhile providing devoted and loyal service to each of his commanders.
• Dr Christine Elizabeth Biggs Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to the international community through diplomatic service.
• Kate Cole Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to workplace health and safety. Included on the COVID-19 Honour Roll for her work to raise awareness of the importance of the airborne transmission of the virus.
• Professor Barbara Comber Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to education.
• Leonie Fleming Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to aged welfare, and to education.
• Sharon Louise Hoogland Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to the community, particularly through the church.
• Kevin John O’Rourke Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to the law.
• Graham Frederick Priestnall Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) - For service to the defence industry.
• Jann Robinson Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) – For service to education.

Distinguished Professor Hua Kun Liu from the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials at the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM) also featured on the Australia Day Honours List, being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the general division for significant service to the scientific research sector, and to tertiary education.

Four alumni and UOW staff were also recognised at the Wollongong City Council Australia Day awards.

Congratulations to Professor Lisa Kervin and Professor Kathleen Clapham who were named joint winners of the Innovation Achievement Award, Matthew Verhelst who received the Arts and Cultural Achievement Award (Arts) and Dr Benjamin Clasie who took out the Wollongong to the World Award.