Fourteen Curtin alumni received the inaugural Curtin University Alumni Awards for inspiring positive change in the community.
The Alumni Awards recognise graduates who have made a significant impact on local, national or international communities while achieving notable professional and personal success.
The awards were presented in categories to honour the most successful young alumni, distinguished international and Australian graduates; substantial community achievement; and most inspiring alumnus.
Curtin University Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the award recipients embraced Curtin’s mission to change minds, lives and the world through leadership, innovation and excellence.
“Curtin graduates are passionate and enthusiastic about changing lives for the better and it is this passion that lends itself to success,” she said.
Curtin celebrated its successful young graduates with the Young Alumni Medal awarded to Pooja Maru for establishing pharmacy mental health services and to Kyle De Souza for launching a not-for-profit organisation that provides education for Kenyan children.
Kristy Tomlinson and Lim Swee Hia received the Alumni Community Achievement Award for their outstanding contributions to community engagement and commitment to helping others. Kristy, now a Curtin Health Sciences employee, was honoured for her constant dedication to helping minority groups achieve optimal health and wellbeing.
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The award for most Distinguished International Alumni was presented to Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander, Singaporean psychology specialist Dr Simon Collinson and Dr Philco Wong, who manages large-scale infrastructures in Hong Kong. Netty Muharni, a survivor of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, received the award for her devotion to helping communities prepare for future natural disasters.
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Curtin’s Inspiring Alumnus Award, which commends a graduate who has overcome many hurdles in life, was presented to Riyadh Al Hakimi, who, despite arriving in Australia as a refugee and spending five years in a refugee camp, successfully completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of International Relations at Curtin.
The recipients of the Distinguished Australian Alumni Award were recognised for their community engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship and for having made a significant impact on a national and international scale. Ex-West Coast Eagles player and coach, John Worsfold, was one of five recipients to receive this award along with Dr Davina Porock, author Marianne de Pierres, Bill Beament and Dr Sue van Leeuwen.
Professor Terry said the awards demonstrated how committed Curtin graduates were to helping others and having a positive impact around Australian and the world.
“The Curtin Alumni Awards demonstrate that our graduates have a chance to be a beacon for positive change,” she said.
“Curtin has a strong commitment to developing and strengthening links with the international community and the awards also demonstrate the calibre of Curtin’s international alumni network, with a number of recipients achieving great success in their chosen fields around the globe.”
