UNE > News and Events > Browse by article > Two outstanding Australians to inspire UNE graduands

Next Smile, you're on GradCam October 6, 2005  

Previous Publicity surrounding UNESA appointment of "heterosexuality officer" October 4, 2005 

Two outstanding Australians to inspire UNE graduands

October 05, 2005

WendyCraik.thumb.jpgTwo outstanding Australians will inspire graduands when they deliver Occasional Addresses during The University of New England's two days of Spring Graduation ceremonies this week.

They are Professor Ashley Goldsworthy and Dr Wendy Craik. Professor Goldsworthy was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1991 for distinguished service to information technology, and was a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2003 for his outstanding contribution to Australian society. Dr Craik (pictured here), who was named Executive Woman of the Year for the Rural Sector in 1998 and Telstra Ansett Australia Private Sector Business Woman of the Year for the ACT in 1999, was also awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003.

Professor Goldsworthy, the Executive Director of the Business / Higher Education Round Table (which he helped to establish 15 years ago), will be the speaker at the ceremony on Friday 7 October for graduands in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics, Business and Law. Dr Craik, Chief Executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, will speak at the ceremony on Saturday 8 October for graduands in the Faculty of The Sciences and the Faculty of Education, Health and Professional Studies.

More than 1,000 students will be graduating from UNE over the two days, many of them attending the ceremonies in person. The University is expecting the ceremonies to bring about 2,000 visitors (graduands themselves, and their family and friends) to Armidale.

During Saturday's ceremony, Professor Bernie Bindon, who retired recently as Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre for Beef Genetic Technologies, will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Rural Science. Professor Bindon, who holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Rural Science from UNE and a PhD from the University of Sydney, has an international reputation for his research on the reproductive biology and genetic improvement of cattle and sheep.

At Friday's ceremony, Ms Sima-Michelle Cresswell Williamson will receive UNE's Young Distinguished Alumni Award for 2005. Ms Cresswell Williamson, who works in Sydney as an environmental lawyer, graduated from UNE in 2001 with First Class Honours in both a Bachelor of Natural Resources and a Bachelor of Laws degree. Also on Friday, University Medals will be awarded to Bachelor of Arts (Honours) graduands David Bloodwood and Michael Hammond.


Media contact: Lisa Rice, Graduation Officer, UNE (02) 6773 4459 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at October 5, 2005 09:56 AM