Subscribe
Want more UOW feature stories delivered to your inbox?
Your favourite UOW stories of 2024
Catch up on the year that was for the UOW community.
December 12, 2024
From book launches to a visit to the Masterchef kitchen, we've wrapped up our top five most loved stories of 2024.
1. Beloved UOW academic awarded posthumous PhD
Kimberley, or Dr Livingstone as she would now be known, was a lecturer and a nursing placement facilitator at the University of Wollongong’s Sutherland campus and a PhD candidate in the School of Education. She passed away in late January at the age of 42 after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.
Kimberley’s husband, Ben and the couple’s daughter, Grace, accepted the testamur in Kimberley’s honour at the autumn graduation ceremony.
Read Dr Livingstone's full story.
2. Associate Professor Christopher Patterson recognised for life-saving act
When Professor Valerie Harwood went into sudden cardiac arrest last year, Associate Professor Christopher Patterson sprang into action.
The registered nurse and academic within the UOW School of Nursing was at the Hangdog Climbing Gym for his son’s 9th birthday party when he noticed someone lying on the floor. With the help of his mother-in-law, Maria Hamilton, a nurse who was also attending the party, Chris did what he could to help.
Chris and Maria’s quick response not only saved Valerie’s life but helped her to defy the odds and make an extraordinary recovery with no brain injury.
Read Associate Professor Patterson's full story.
3. Believing in a new age of autism support
When UOW alumni Kory Sherland was diagnosed with autism at age 35, she recalls an “eye-opening” experience.
Her diagnosis was the catalyst for founding Autie Talk, a coaching and consulting business for people with autism. Autie Talk provides work and life strategy coaching for autistic and other neurodivergent adults, plus consultation with service providers, allied health professionals, and support workers.
4. UOW graduate Gill Dinh shines on MasterChef
Showcasing a fusion of culinary styles on the 2024 season MasterChef Australia, Gill's rich multicultural heritage and background in creative arts from the University of Wollongong (UOW) were integral in her approach to the competition.
Since graduating from UOW in 2012, Gill has transformed her artistic passion into a career and established her creative studio, The Marker by Gillian Dinh.
5. Capturing the beauty and pain of motherhood
At the age of 31, Dr Emma Darragh started over. Her youngest child was in kindergarten, her marriage had ended, and she was looking for her next chapter, so to speak.
After completing her Bachelor of Arts and Honours degree, Emma then enrolled in a Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Writing. The creative component of Emma’s thesis became her debut novel, Thanks For Having Me.