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2004 QUT Outstanding Alumni Award Winners |
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Shane
Thompson
Sarah-Jane
Clarke
Derek
Wilding
Chris
Sarra
Chris has had an enormous impact on Indigenous education in Queensland. In his various roles as researcher, teacher, guidance counsellor, lecturer and ministerial advisor, he has devised and implemented policies and programs designed to improve participation, retention and success rates among Indigenous students at all levels of education. Chris has worked in primary and high schools, the Department of Employment, Education and Training, Education Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. These experiences provided him with an understanding of the issues surrounding Indigenous education from a number of important perspectives, enabling him to develop his own approach to addressing some entrenched social and attitudinal problems pervading the school system in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous comm-unities. Since 1998, Chris has been Principal of Cherbourg State School where he has achieved a 94% reduction in absenteeism and significant improvements in literacy and numeracy by lifting community expectations of what Indigenous children can achieve. He has helped his students to be proud of their community and Indigenous heritage through reinforcement of the school motto, 'Strong and Smart'. The stunning revival of Cherbourg State School is the subject of a documentary entitled 'Strong and Smart'. Chris has a Diploma of Teaching in Physical Education, a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Education in School Guidance and Counselling from QUT. He is currently completing a PhD on his work at Cherbourg. In recognition of his achievements, Chris has been named 2004 Queenslander of the Year. Ian
Kent
Paul
Kenny
Susan
Francis
Simon
Critchley
Sandra
Angus
Rodney
Cocks, CSM
Aline
Matta
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Shane
graduated in 1979 with a Diploma of Architecture. He has been Principal
of Bligh Voller Nield since 1987, playing a key role in the growth of this
company into one of Australia's major architecture practices. Shane
has led the successful completion of numerous major commissions, including
Sydney Olympic Village, the Lavarack Barracks redevelopment, Apartments
at 333 Anne Street, the Kingsheath Club of Clubs Resort at Kingscliff, Linggi
River Resort and Johor Bahru Waterfront City in Malaysia, and the University
of the Sunshine Coast Innovation Centre. Over the course of his career,
Shane's work has appeared in national and international publications
including Architectural Review (London), Steel Profile, the International
Architecture Yearbook, Residential Spaces of the World and Architecture
Australia. He has received forty-seven awards and commendations from the
RAIA (Queensland), the Australian Institute of Steel Construction, Maroochy
Excellence in Building and Planning, and the National Sir Zelman Cowan Award
for Public Buildings. Shane is also active on the QUT Cultural Precinct
Advisory Board and Queensland College of Art Advisory Council.
A
Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) graduate, Sarah-Jane Clarke (nicknamed
Sass) co-founded the internationally acclaimed fashion label Sass &
Bide with friend Heidi Middleton (nicknamed Bide). From humble beginnings
in Notting Hill's Portobello Market and a hole-in-the-wall in Double
Bay, they built a multi-million dollar business, with established national
and overseas markets. Within five years, the business had racked up huge
successes at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, and
the New York Fashion Show and was retailing in sixty-eight stores in Australia
and a hundred stores overseas including Bloomingdales and Saks in the US,
Harvey Nichols & Brown in the UK and Lane Crawford, Hong Kong. Today,
their designs are worn by Kylie Minogue, Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman,
Naomi Watts, and Victoria Beckham and they've just opened a flagship
Australian store in Sydney's chic Oxford Street. This year Sarah-Jane
and Heidi were nominated by the British Elle Fashion Awards for Best Young
Designers of the Year and they recently won the Australian Cleo Ready to
Wear Fashion Award.
Dr
Derek Wilding is Director of the Communications Law Centre (CLC), at the
University of New South Wales where he is also an academic staff member
of the Law Faculty. Since taking up this role in 2000, Derek has regularly
entered the national debate on telecommunications, broadcasting and media
issues of national importance, gaining important consumer protections for
the Australian community. Derek is a member of a number of consumer "watchdog"
bodies including the ACCC and the ACA. He was involved in the ABA investigation
into the "Cash for Comment" affair involving Radio 2UE and 2GB;
the ACA investigation into the telecommunications industry during which
he pushed for consumer protection mechanisms in mobile phone contracts;
the NSW Government investigations into infomercials, classification and
censorship; and media ownership submissions to the Senate which resulted
in defeat of the Media Ownership Bill in 2003. Derek also manages a Commonwealth
agency telecommunications research consultancy and researches for the SBS.
He has a PhD in Media Studies from QUT, in addition to degrees in Arts and
Law.
Chris
Sarra has devoted his career to improving conditions for Indigenous students
and helping educators to understand the difficulties and barriers facing
Indigenous people in education and employment. 
Ian
Kent gained a Diploma of Applied Science (Optometry) from QIT in 1971. He
has been a successful optometrist for many years and influential in the
development of optometry practice in Queensland and nationally. Ian has
held numerous positions on bodies responsible for industry standards, and
since 1994, has chaired the Optometrists Board of Queensland. He was Chair
of the Board during a major reorganisation of health practitioner regulation
in Queensland and directly involved in managing the Act and Regulations
for Optometry. Ian has also been active on the Council of Optometrical Registration
Authorities and Chair of its Queensland Board. Here, he has been particularly
effective in integrating the activities of registration authorities with
those involved in professional accreditation, particularly the Optometry
Council of Australia and New Zealand. Currently, Ian is a Trustee of the
Queensland Division of the International Centre for Eyecare Education which
raises optometrical education standards in developing countries. He has
also served the Faculty of Health on advisory committees since 1985. In
2003, Ian was named Optometrist of the Year.
Paul
Kenny has built an impressive career with IBM in roles which have taken
him to Silicon Valley, New York, Boston and locations in the Asia-Pacific
region. Currently he is Director of IBM Australia and New Zealand. IBM has
recognised his leadership with ranking in the top five IBM teams in the
world, a Golden Circle award and two consulting excellence awards. Paul
was part of the team that originally defined the concept of "Data
Warehousing". He authored seven Redbooks and was recognised as IBM's
world specialist on the subject. Paul also established IBM's Australian
consulting business and was responsible for some notable early e-commerce
solutions including internet banking, electronic shopping, on-line share
broking and computer-based training. He established IBM's Centre for
E-business Innovation in Pyrmont, Sydney, which has helped position Australia
at the leading edge of global e-commerce development. Paul also supports
a number of community service projects in Thailand, including the Bangkok
Music and Arts Academy of over one thousand students. Paul graduated from
QIT in 1979 with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Computing).
Having
gained a Diploma of Teaching in 1976 followed by a Bachelor of Arts, Susan
Francis began her professional life as a teacher and education officer.
She then changed tack, gaining a Bachelor of Laws from QIT in 1986 and a
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice a year later. That year, she took up
a position with Thynne and Macartney and within five years had become a
senior partner in the firm. There, Susan built up a thriving family law
practice. In 1997, Susan gained specialist accreditation in Family Law and
is now considered one of Queensland's leading family lawyers. A mentor
to other female law practitioners and ardent supporter of women's
issues, Susan has provided free legal expertise to the Women's Legal
Service for fifteen years and to the Caxton Legal Centre for ten years,
assisting the lawyers, their clients and the management of both services.
She also edits the Queensland Lawyers Practice Manual and the Queensland
Law Handbook. In 2003, Susan was awarded Queensland Woman Lawyer of the
Year.
Simon
Critchley is Director of Radiation Health, Queensland, where he has presided
over a marked improvement in radiation safety and compliance with legislation.
Prior to this, Simon was Secretary to the Radiological Advisory Council
where he initiated a review of Radiation Health. As its Director, Simon
has implemented new programs and major changes to existing programs in radioactive
waste management, developed and implemented all new radiation safety legislation
enacted in 1999, new safety standards and regulations, and new policies
and procedures for radiation safety management. Simon is also an advisor
to the Department of the Prime Minister on national security issues relating
to radioactive substances. He assisted the Federal Government to develop
an Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Bill and Regulation,
and worked towards national uniformity in the regulation and use of radiation
sources. Simon has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Applied Chemistry) and
a Master of Applied Science (Medical Physics) from QUT. In 2001, he was
awarded an Australia Day Achievement Medal by the Director-General of Queensland
Health.
Sandra
Angus graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Social Science in Human Services
and has done much to promote the health of indigenous people. She has worked
for the Young Person's Mental Health Service, the South Pacific Commission,
and in the Klong Toey slum community of Bangkok. Sandra developed and lectured
in the University of Sydney's Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health
Promotion. She also developed and promoted Edith Cowan University's
ATSI Healthinfonet website which was nominated for a Stockholm Challenge
Award. Sandra has been involved in the organisation of numerous state, national
and international conferences and has published several articles in leading
journals. She also chairs the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Women's Forum (ATSIWF). Currently, Sandra is Acting Senior Project
Officer with the Queensland Cervical Screening Program where she develops
strategies to improve community health, particularly among Indigenous people.
She has written several codes of practice for cancer screening services
to Indigenous women and is currently developing nationally accredited competency-based
training for Indigenous Health Workers in breast and cervical cancer.
Rodney
Cocks is UN Security Advisor in the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, Southern
Afghanistan, where he provides security advice to the UN's humanitarian
agencies. Formerly a Captain in the Australian Army, Rodney headed the Australian
Defence Force support of the Sydney Olympics and deployment of resources
to the 2003 Victorian Alpine bushfires. Posted to the UNMISET mission in
East Timor, Rodney was awarded a UN PKF Force Commander's Commendation
and Australian Conspicuous Service Medal for his aid to victims in the wake
of the Bali bombings. Rodney was then posted to Iraq as Deputy of the UN
Mine Action Coordination Team, where he worked in Baghdad, Basrah, Kurdistan
and the volatile "Sunni Triangle". He has since been nominated
for an Australian Bravery Decoration for his actions at the scene of the
UN HQ bombing in Baghdad. Rodney holds a Bachelor of Laws from QUT, a Bachelor
of Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment. He
is currently writing a book on his experiences to be published in 2005.
Aline
Matta is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and a member of
the Supreme Court of New York Bar. After graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor
of Business (Accountancy) and a Bachelor of Laws, Aline completed an Internship
in New York with the United Nations Secretariat Legal Counsel. Aline then
travelled to Asmara, Eritrea to work on the arbitration of a territorial
dispute over a group of Red Sea islands. In 2002 Aline worked with Adam
Smith International in London and Ramallah providing legal advice to the
Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department in relation to issues arising
from the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. Aline subsequently joined
the faculty of American University of Technology in Lebanon where she prepared
and taught a course in human rights. In 2003, Aline became Justice Advisor
for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Basrah, Iraq, where, on behalf
of the UK Department for International Development she led an international
team of lawyers in the rehabilitation of Southern Iraq's judicial
system. Aline also holds a Master of Laws in International Legal Studies.