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2008 QUT Outstanding Alumni Award Winners |
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Zimi Meka
Susan Kelly
Sean Mee
Rhonda Davidson-Irwin
Margaret Vider
Gordon Moyes
Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig Following the 2004 election, he was appointed to the Shadow Ministry in the portfolios of Justice and Customs, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, and in March 2007, became Shadow Attorney-General. Following the 2007 Federal election, he was appointed Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister for Human Services. In this role, he is at the forefront of the major social, health and welfare agenda being implemented by the Rudd Government. Professor Alan Cowman
Gail Reid
Michael Bonning
The QUT Alumni Board also recognises outstanding achievement of graduates who are thirty years and under. Though not having had the time to develop the depth of experience and career history of earlier graduates, the winner of the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award is already acknowledged as a high achiever.
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With over 25 years Australian and international experience in his field, Zimi has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for developing new opportunities through technical innovation and culturally sensitive business practices. Zimi is the CEO and co-founder of Ausenco Limited which specialises in designing, constructing and commissioning mineral processing plants in some of the most difficult and remote locations in the world including Tanzania, Kenya, Laos, Vietnam, PNG, Thailand, Peru, Zambia and China. Ausenco has ridden the wave of the resources boom and currently has projects worth more than USD $3.0 billion underway in over thirty countries. Zimi has been Highly Commended by Engineers Australia Engineering for his innovations and his company has won a raft of awards. In 2005, the Ausenco / Bateman Engineering Khanong Development Group JV won the R W Hawken Award and Engineering Excellence Award for Resource Development. These awards were for developing the world’s first 60,000 tonne per year copper processing facility, utilising novel processing technologies and doubling the capacity of the existing gold plant for the Oxiana Resources Sepon project on Laos’ remote Ho Chi Minh Trail. Despite the difficulties presented by the location, the project was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. Most recently, Ausenco has formed a JV with Taggart Global USA to pursue coal preparation plant development opportunities world-wide. For several years, Ausenco has won the Premier of Queensland Exporter of the Year Awards, and in 2007 was inducted into the Australian Exporters Hall of Fame, an honour bestowed on only four companies since 1962. Zimi holds a Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechanical).
Susan is Head of Internal Communication at Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness based in Switzerland. In her role at Syngenta, Susan has developed and implemented highly successful programs that support business growth, brand building, recruitment and cultural change. She has developed initiatives to increase employee engagement, including the Syngenta Awards Program on which she recently spoke at the International Association of Business Communicators Conference in New York. In Australia, Susan has played a leading part in developing Public Relations practice as Vice-President and President of the Queensland branch of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA). She has also served for many years as a judge of the PRIA Awards of Excellence, the national Annual Report Awards, and the Institute of Internal Auditors (QLD) Public Sector Annual Report Awards. Her own excellence in communications has been acknowledged on many occasions with multiple awards from these bodies. Susan holds a Bachelor of Education, Graduate Diploma of Communication Practice and Master of Business (Communication Management).
Sean is Artistic Director and CEO of La Boite Theatre Company which he has led through a period of unprecedented growth and transformation. One of only two companies in Australia exclusively producing Australian plays, La Boite has become a nationally significant generator of new Australian theatre, developing, producing or co-producing twenty-two main-house productions and seventeen premiere works of over twenty writers including nine on professional debut. In particular, Sean has championed the work of Queensland playwrights, encouraging a new generation to tell uniquely Queensland stories. Sean has received two Matilda Awards – in recognition of his contribution to Queensland Theatre, his critically acclaimed performance as Milo in 
Rhonda has taught more than 10,000 children, performed for Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton and Muhammad Ali, composed more than 900 songs for children’s TV shows 
Margaret joined the nursing staff at Brisbane’s Holy Spirit Hospital in the early 70s. During a career spanning more than thirty years, Margaret was the hospital’s Principal Nurse Educator, Director of Nursing, and from 1995 until her retirement, its Director of Mission. Margaret has made an outstanding contribution to furthering health care standards and nursing as a profession. A Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing Australia, she has served for many years on healthcare sector boards and committees, including the Queensland Nursing Council and the Florence Nightingale Committee. Here she was at the forefront of a lobby group that was successful in having formal nursing education transferred to universities. In 2005, Margaret was appointed a Deputy Commissioner to the Bundaberg Hospital Commission of Inquiry. Margaret continues to contribute to the profession and is a member of QUT’s Human Research Ethics Committee. Margaret gained her Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing) and Diploma of Nursing Administration from QIT.
Since graduating in 1995 With Distinction in a Bachelor of IT, Gordon has enjoyed a stellar career in the video game industry. After the worldwide smash hit 
Senator Ludwig has had a long, outstanding career in public life. The Minister joined the Queensland public service in 1978, working as an Industrial Inspector, before moving to the Australian Workers Union as an Advocate. In 1998, he entered the Senate, serving as Parliamentary Secretary and Manager of Opposition Business. During that time, he completed a Bachelor of Arts, a Law degree at QUT, a Graduate Diploma in Law at ANU and was admitted to the Bar. 
Alan is Head of the Division of Infection and Immunity at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. An internationally renowned researcher in the field of infectious diseases, primarily malaria, Alan has had a major impact on understanding of the key mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this major parasitic disease. He is focussed on developing vaccines and new drugs to counter the parasite’s ability to develop resistance. Alan’s extensively published research has been cited more than 9,500 times and has been supported by grants and consortia worth more than (AUD) $26 million. His work has been recognised with numerous honours, including Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science; International Research Scholarships from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; a Wellcome Trust Fellowship; the Glaxo-Wellcome Australia Medal; the Australian Academy of Science Gottschalk Medal; the Boehringer Mannheim Medal; the Lemberg Medal of the Australian Society for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a Commonwealth of Australia Centenary Medal. Alan is also an inaugural NHMRC Australia Fellow. This illustrious career began with the attainment of a Certificate in Biological Laboratory Techniques.
At only 26, Gail has already tasted success. In her graduate year, she won the Queensland Mercedes-Benz Start-Up Awards with her collection "Angel at My Table", which enabled her to show at Australian Fashion Week 2005. In 2006, 
Michael won a Dean’s Scholarship to study a Bachelor of Applied Science (Biochemistry), which he gained With Distinction, and thereafter completed an Honours degree in Microbiology. By the time he had completed his first degree, Michael had also been awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards. Michael is currently in the fourth year of a medical degree having won Defence Force and John Flynn Scholarships to assist with his studies. Michael has made a significant contribution to medical and community organisations. He has been both Chair of the Queensland Medical Students Council and President of the University of Queensland Medical Society. Currently he is President of the Australian Medical Students’ Association and a Federal Director of the AMA. Michael has participated in State Government advisory groups and taskforces, having significant input into government policy on issues surrounding medical education. Michael is also Chair of the Ashintosh Foundation, a charitable focus for the medical faculty at The University of Queensland.