Western Sydney University celebrates Spring graduation

Ceremony 1 – Monday 12 September – 9:30am

Ms Elizabeth Koff AM

Elizabeth Koff will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters and deliver the Occasional Address

Ms Elizabeth Koff has held a number of senior executive roles within the NSW health system, across operational and policy portfolios. In April 2022, she was appointed the Managing Director of Telstra Health, Australia’s largest digital health company and a subsidiary of Telstra Corporation. Prior to this, Elizabeth was the NSW Health Secretary for a period of six years. In this role, she was responsible for the management of the NSW health system, including a $30 billion budget and 118,000 full time equivalent staff, as well as for setting strategic direction to ensure the provision of exceptional healthcare, research and education. Elizabeth led NSW Health through the COVID-19 pandemic and advised the NSW Crisis Cabinet on the management of COVID-19 in NSW, and the subsequent vaccination roll out.

As Secretary, Elizabeth oversaw a number of key initiatives and changes across the NSW health system, including the development of value-based healthcare at scale, an eHealth transformation with data and analytics reform to drive clinical care improvements and business intelligence, and the shift of the NSW Ministry of Health to more agile and flexible work practices.

Significantly, Ms Koff led NSW Health through a major investment in health infrastructure in Western Sydney. Outcomes included the Nepean Hospital upgrade, the development of the Campbelltown and Westmead Health and Education Precincts, as well as the Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct. Through trusted relationships and partnerships with industry and higher education institutions, such as Western Sydney University, Ms Koff has championed the establishment of Health and Education precincts which are vital to the economic development of the State.

Prior to her role as Secretary for NSW Health, Elizabeth was the Deputy Secretary for Strategy and Resources at NSW Health, and Chief Executive of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network.

Elizabeth is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA), and a member of Chief Executive Women. She was elected to the position of President for the Institute for Public Administration NSW in December 2019.

Ceremony 2 – Monday 12 September – 12 noon

Ms Frances Rush OAM

Frances Rush will receive a Community Fellowship and deliver the Occasional Address

Ms Frances Rush is the CEO of the Asylum Seekers Centre, a not-for-profit organisation that provides practical and personal support to people in New South Wales who are seeking asylum. The Centre also advocates for fair and humane policies for refugees and asylum seekers. Frances has been associated with the Centre since its inception in 1993 and was appointed CEO in 2015.

A graduate of this University, Frances completed a Master of Applied Science (Social Ecology) in 1995 and has over 40 years’ experience as a social worker in both the government and community sectors. She has a wealth of experience in advocacy and policy development, with a diverse public sector career and has held senior executive roles with the NSW Department of Justice in Guardianship, working in advocacy and policy across government, as well as the aged care and disability sectors.

Since her appointment as CEO of the Asylum Seekers Centre in 2015, Frances has been a tireless supporter and advocate for refugees and people seeking asylum. With over 30 staff and 400 active volunteers, the Asylum Seekers Centre connects people with life-changing support and services: including accommodation, financial relief, health care, employment assistance, education, food, material aid and recreational activities. The Centre also strives to engage the community, and influence policy and legal change by drawing on the daily experiences of people seeking asylum to develop and promote campaigns to improve public laws and policies. With Frances at the helm, the Asylum Seekers Centre has supported over 4,000 people in 2020-2021, including 1,000 children.

Frances has also worked with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and has extensive experience as an oral historian, having worked on projects at a national and state level. Her oral history projects include interviews for the Forgotten Australians and the Former Child Migrants Oral History Project.

Frances is a former Director of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, Australia’s oldest charity working to support women and girls experiencing abuse and disadvantage, and a former Director of the Commonwealth Study Conferences.

In the 2019 Australia Day Honours, Frances was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through social welfare organisations.

Ceremony 3 – Monday 12 September – 2:30pm

Mr Gaven Morris

Managing Director, Bastion Agency

Gaven Morris will deliver the Occasional Address

Gaven Morris is the Managing Director of Bastion Transform, a digital transformation and content strategy consultancy. He is also an Industry Professor at Western Sydney University.

Until December 2021, Gaven was the Director of News, Analysis and Investigations at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. During his time at the ABC, he launched the ABC News Channel, led the daily news and current affairs teams, and implemented a comprehensive strategic and cultural change programme that elevated ABC News to become Australia’s leading digital news service and significantly broadened the diversity and breadth of its audience and staff profile.

Prior to this, he worked in international news for a decade. This included, his time as a senior member of the team that built and launched Al Jazeera English, as well as his work with the team that expanded CNN.com to become one of the first global online news services.

With 30 years of experience in the Australian and international media, Gaven has covered key events, including global conflicts, terrorism attacks, natural disasters, and political upheaval. Gaven also spent many years in the Australian parliamentary press gallery.

Ceremony 4 – Monday 12 September – 5:00pm

Dr Karen Arblaster

Director Allied Health, Research and Strategic Partnerships

Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District

Dr Karen Arblaster will deliver the Occasional Address

Dr Karen Arblaster is the Director of Allied Health, Research and Strategic Partnerships for Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District. Karen is the executive leader for 700 allied health professionals, a range of clinical services as well as programs to drive improved health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Passionate about staff and patient care, Karen was the recipient of Occupational Therapy Australia’s prestigious Clinical Researcher Award in 2021. This award acknowledges her doctoral research, which focused on integrating mental-health lived experience perspectives into occupational therapy practice, as well as her mentoring and supervision of research students.

Her cutting-edge research produced an outcome measure that occupational therapists can use to better assist people experiencing mental distress and ill health. Karen’s work also helped transform the District’s Mental Health Service, which is now recognised as setting the benchmark in working with consumers with a lived experience.

Karen has also lectured in occupational therapy for this University, helping students prepare for professional practice.

Ceremony 4a - Monday, 12 September - 7:00pm

Dr Nicolene Murdoch

Pro Vice-Chancellor Educational Partnerships and Quality, Western Sydney University

Dr Nicolene Murdoch will deliver the Occasional Address

Dr Nicolene Murdoch was recently appointed as Pro Vice-Chancellor Educational Partnerships and Quality (EPQ) at Western Sydney University. In this role, Dr Murdoch is responsible for leading the implementation of a whole-of-university approach to program quality, including the provision of strategic support and governance oversight of the University’s expanding suite of local and international third-party providers and educational partners.

Prior to this, Dr Murdoch was, for four years, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Western Sydney University, The College. Before joining The College, Dr Murdoch was the Vice President (Student Administration) at Laureate International Universities. She also held various executive roles at Monash South Africa, a branch campus founded by Monash University in 2001. The campus grew from about 200 students when she joined in 2004, to over 4,000 students in 2016, when she was Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Dr Murdoch has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Education, and subsequently a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with a specialisation in Human Resource Development. She also holds a Master of Philosophy in Adult Education, all from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. She obtained her Doctorate in Education with a focus on Higher Education Management and Governance from the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

Dr Murdoch has been listed on the Princeton Global Network Top 100 Elite Professionals in the field of Education. This recognition is bestowed on distinguished individuals who demonstrate commitment to excellence in their careers and exemplary leadership in their communities. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors (GAICD) and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA), a recognition that is awarded to higher education professionals with a sustained record of strategic and academic leadership contributing to high quality student learning.

Ceremony 5 – Tuesday 13 September – 9:30am

Dr Andrew Vann FRSN

Dr Andrew Vann will will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Letters and deliver the Occasional Address

Dr Andrew Vann is a retired engineer, educator, researcher and senior academic leader. As the former Vice-Chancellor of Charles Sturt University, Dr Vann played a pivotal role in the introduction of the Joint Program in Medicine, a collaboration between Western Sydney University and Charles Sturt University, which aims to expand the provision of medical services in regional Australia.

Dr Vann trained as a civil engineer and worked in engineering consultancy after graduation. He completed a PhD in the Civil Engineering Systems Group at the University of Bristol in 1994, where he lectured in structural engineering.

In 1996, Dr Vann took up a post in the Faculty of Engineering at Central Queensland University in Rockhampton. There he pursued research interests in structural monitoring and artificial intelligence, as well as leading pedagogical change in moving the Bachelor of Engineering at Central Queensland University to a project-based format.

Dr Vann held various senior academic and administrative roles at Central Queensland University before joining James Cook University in North Queensland in 2004. He commenced in the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor Information Services and Technologies. From 2008, Dr Vann was Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for the Faculties, and Teaching and Learning.

In January 2012, Dr Vann commenced as Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University, a role he held until his retirement in December 2020.

During his time at Charles Sturt University, Dr Vann developed and articulated a clear vision, mission and strategic direction for the University, focussing on teaching and research to support and benefit its regional communities, including the provision of a medical school and a practice-based engineering school. Under the leadership of Dr Vann, the University established a new campus in Port Macquarie which has expanded higher education provision substantially on the Mid-North Coast of NSW.

He worked closely with Indigenous leaders, in particular with the Wiradjuri, to support language recovery through the Charles Sturt University Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage.

Dr Vann also led environmental initiatives with Charles Sturt University, investing substantially in renewable energy projects and becoming the first Australian university to be federally certified as carbon neutral.

Dr Vann has a strong history with this University and was instrumental in the development of the Joint Program in Medicine (JPM), a collaboration between Western Sydney University and Charles Sturt University. The JPM was initiated under the Federal government’s Stronger Rural Health Strategy, which seeks to train and retain more medical practitioners in rural and regional areas. Under the auspices of the Murray Darling Medical Schools Network, Western Sydney and Charles Sturt signed an agreement in mid-2020 to jointly deliver a medical program. The program significantly expands opportunities for students in rural and regional areas to undertake studies in medicine. In addition, the program provides Western Sydney University with the opportunity to strengthen its engagement with regional medical students, practitioners and institutions, and to provide expanded regional clinical placement opportunities.

Dr Vann also worked closely with Western Sydney University as Chair of the NSW’s Vice-Chancellors’ Committee from 2015-2016, a role that saw him advocate on behalf of NSW universities to state and federal governments and campaign for strong regional engagement and expanded university-to-university partnerships.

Dr Vann has held several positions which have advocated for the interest of the higher education sector in NSW and Australia. He is a former President of the Australian Higher Education Industry Association and former Board member and Deputy Chair of Universities Australia. Professor Vann was also a Board member of the TAFE NSW Commission, Higher Education Services, Education Services Australia, and the Talloires Network Steering Committee.

Doctor Vann’s significant contributions have been recognised by several professional bodies. He holds fellowships with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Engineers Australia, the Royal Society of NSW, and is also an Associate Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Ceremony 6 – Tuesday 13 September – 12 noon

Mr Nicholas (Nick) Moraitis AM

Nick Moraitis will receive a posthumous Honorary Doctorate of Letters

Mr Nicholas (Nick) Moraitis was a prominent Australian businessman, philanthropist, and passionate supporter of thoroughbred racing. A pioneer of Sydney’s fruit and vegetable industry, Nick grew his business, Moraitis Group, into one of the country’s largest fresh produce providers.

Born in Townsville, Queensland, Nick moved to Sydney with his mother and younger brother when he was five years old, after the passing of his father. Growing up, Nick was a talented rugby league player, representing South Sydney in the Presidents Cup, playing lower grades for the Eastern Suburbs (now Sydney Roosters), and refereeing in the top grade.

After high school, Nick studied to become a chartered accountant, and commenced a part-time bookkeeping business. In the late 1950s, Nick took up a client’s offer to sell him a potato business, developing this into, Moraitis Group, a national vertically integrated business, sourcing produce from its own farms and supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to supermarkets including Coles and Woolworths, fruit markets, food service and national restaurant chains. Operations included wholesaling, packaging, processing, and the growing of fresh produce, with branch networks and personnel in all major growing districts and retail markets throughout Australia. In business, Nick was always a visionary. Through his innovation, he fundamentally changed the fresh produce industry in ways that continue to impact consumers every day.

As his business grew, so did Nick’s interest in horse racing. Nick was a long-time member of the Sydney Turf Club, serving as a Director for over a decade and a Life Member of the Australian Turf Club. Not afraid to speak his mind on matters related to horse racing, Nick’s contributions to thoroughbred racing and breeding have been described as immeasurable.

Nick’s beloved horse “Might and Power” won both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1997, and the Cox Plate in 1998, only the second horse in the history of racing to have won all three races. Nick also raced many other outstanding horses including Exceed And Excel, Fiumicino, Vision And Power, Love Conquers All, Arabian Gold and Destiny’s Kiss.

Another passion of Nick’s was philanthropy. Held in high esteem by the Australian business community, Nick was able to influence other prominent businesspeople to support causes he cared about. As a Life Member of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Nick was a tireless and dedicated philanthropist and supporter of people with disabilities.

Nick was instrumental in attracting generous sponsorship and donations for Cerebral Palsy Alliance’s services and programs and is widely respected for his own personal generosity to this cause. Nick served as a Governor of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation and was a corporate sponsor and donor of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance over several decades. He was an Honorary Life Member of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and was Governor of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation since 2005.

Nick was also a dedicated and long-term supporter of this University. From 2015 until 2022, he was a valuable member of the Western Sydney University Foundation Council and a generous donor to Community Scholarships at Western Sydney University.

Nick’s exemplary service to the community and assistance to people in special need was publicly recognised in 1999, when State Premier Bob Carr presented him with a NSW Community Service Award for his outstanding services to the community. In 2005, Nick was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community through support of a range of organisations related to the health and welfare of children and to business through the fresh produce industry.

Nick’s significant legacy will be continued by the Might and Power Race Day, an annual community racing event held at Royal Randwick and named after Nick’s Melbourne Cup-winning thoroughbred. Since its establishment 25 years ago, the race day has become the biggest charity event on the NSW Racing calendar, raising more than $6 million for worthy causes, including cerebral palsy early intervention, research, therapy and assistive technology.

Jane Curren

Construction Manager, Multiplex

Jane Curren will deliver the Occasional Address

Jane Curran is Construction Manager at global construction company Multiplex, which delivers a broad range of projects in sectors such as commercial, residential, retail, tourism, aged care and health.

Since joining Multiplex in 2009, Jane has worked on projects that include Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital, Byron Bay’s Byron Central Hospital, Bega’s South East Regional Hospital, Sydney’s Northern Beaches and St George Hospitals, the redevelopment of Westmead Hospital, and the expansion of Canberra Hospital.

At the National Association of Women in Construction’s NSW Awards for Excellence in 2020, Jane was awarded Project Manager of the Year for her management of Westmead Hospital’s redevelopment. As a result of Jane’s strong leadership skills and her ability to respond quickly and effectively to a range of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was completed ahead of schedule. She also fostered strong relationships with subcontractors, hospital users, the client and other stakeholders, and drove strong social outcomes on the project, giving long-term employment opportunities to marginalised groups.

Ceremony 7 – Tuesday 13 September – 2:30pm

Mr Matthew McFarlane, PSM

Matthew McFarlane will receive a Community Fellowship and deliver the Occasional Address

Mr Matthew McFarlane is currently the Portfolio Services Director for Healthdirect Australia, the national virtual public health information service that aims to deliver the health priorities of Commonwealth and state and territory funders. Prior to this role, Matthew spent four years as the Director of Disaster Welfare with the former NSW Office of Emergency Management, a state government organisation that led disaster and emergency efforts in NSW, from prevention through to recovery.

An alumnus of this University, Matthew completed a Bachelor of Social Science in 1996, before commencing employment with the NSW Department of Family and Community Services where for 20 years he worked in various roles in Child Protection. This included four years as the Director of the Child Protection Helpline, before joining the not-for-profit organisation, Life Without Barriers, as a Business Partner.

In December 2017, Matthew was appointed Director of Disaster Welfare, leading the Disaster Welfare Services Branch and the Welfare Services Functional Area, to support local communities and individuals impacted first by bushfires, flooding, and then by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, Matthew went above and beyond normal requirements, providing bespoke project delivery in a high profile and publicly sensitive landscape.

As Director of Disaster Welfare, Matthew supported the establishment of over 90 evacuation centres for bushfire-affected communities across a four-month period during the 2019 – 2020 Black Summer bushfires, with 22 centres operating concurrently. Matthew also gained the assistance of Service NSW to establish the inundated Disaster Welfare Assistance line, resulting in enquiries being triaged to ensure more effective outcomes for callers, and allowing agencies to prioritise their response to those most in need. Additionally, Matthew led the Disaster Welfare team to administer the Disaster Relief Grant, implementing new processes to produce significant efficiencies in the administration and provision of key essential contents, repair, and replacement of damaged structures.

Described by his colleagues as a supportive leader who truly cares about his team, Matthew’s leadership has directly resulted in efficiencies and the successful delivery of services in incredibly trying times, with positive outcomes and benefits to impacted communities across the State.

Matthew’s tireless dedication to the community of NSW was formally acknowledged this year when he was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Australia Day Honours “for outstanding public service to emergency management in New South Wales, particularly in response to the 2019-2020 bushfires.

Ceremony 8 – Tuesday 13 September – 5:00pm

Ms Maha Krayem Abdo OAM

Maha Krayem Abdo will receive an Honorary Fellowship and deliver the Occasional Address

Ms Maha Krayem Abdo is the CEO of Muslim Women Australia (MWA), formerly the Muslim Women Association, a representative body for Muslim women of all backgrounds, that provides a range of community support services, including advocacy, policy advice, community development and domestic violence support.

Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, Maha immigrated to Australia when she was 12 years of age and completed her schooling here. Following time as a stay at home mother, Maha joined the MWA on a voluntary basis in the 1980s. She has spent over three decades working with the organisation, providing support, safety and assurance to Muslim women, many of whom are newly arrived immigrants.

Maha became the inaugural CEO of MWA in 2000 and has led the organisation through some tense and challenging periods. Following the Lindt café siege of 2014, she played a pivotal role in boosting social cohesion, including her appearance as a guest on Australian breakfast television, where she debated Pauline Hanson on the rights of women to wear the hijab.

Today, under Maha’s leadership, the MWA advocates for equality and the rights of all women. Programs delivered by the MWA include:

• Linking Hearts, which aims to provide families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with safe and supported crisis and transitional accommodation.
• Settlement Support, an early intervention program that provides a variety of support services to newly arrived migrants and refugees living in Australia; and
• Saving FACE, an initiative to develop and deliver key activities to encourage men in preventing violence against women and children.

MWA also offers programs for Muslim women, youth, seniors, and mothers, which aim to foster women’s health and well-being in a safe and inclusive environment. These programs have supported over 5,000 women, children, and families in the last five years.

Maha also works at a local, national, and international level, advising government on policy, services and strategies to create a harmonious community for Muslim and non-Muslim women. With a Bachelor of Social Work, a Master in Social Sciences from this University, and a Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution, Maha has worked with 1800RESPECT, the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service, to advise the service as part of their National Sector Advisory Group. She is also an Advisory Panel member for the Strengthening Australian Civil Society.

Maha’s commitment to human rights, equality and community cohesion has been recognised through several awards. In 2002, she received the NSW Premier’s Award for her role in establishing the Muslim Foster Care service with the Department of Community Services and in 2008, Maha was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. She was named the NSW Human Rights Ambassador for 2014-15 and in 2015, she was a finalist for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Human Rights Medal. In 2021, Maha was named as the Committee for Sydney’s inaugural Unsung Hero, an award designed to recognise and celebrate the selfless contributions of people who can fly under the radar, but without which, the City would grind to a halt.

Ceremony 9 – Wednesday 14 September – 9.30am

Ms Sharlene Vlahos

Director of Education and Business Development, Karitane

Sharlene Vlahos will deliver the Occasional Address

Sharlene Vlahos [Vla-hoss] is the Director of Education and Business Development at Karitane, a not-for-profit organisation and charity supporting families during the first 2,000 days – or five-and-a-half years - of their child’s life. Karitane provides leading specialist early parenting services. It also prioritises accessibility and support for parents across NSW to ensure every child receives the best start in life. Karitane has grown its services to include both face-to-face and virtual models of care and offers a wide range of programs to support some of the State’s most vulnerable communities.

Sharlene has been a Registered Nurse since 1994 and began her career at Liverpool Hospital. She has worked in both an acute-care setting and in community health, and over the past 24 years, her focus has been on Child and Family Health.

Sharlene is not only a Western Sydney University alumna, holding a Master of Clinical Leadership from this University, but also a Western Sydney University Adjunct Fellow for the Master of Child and Family Health program. This course prepares Registered Nurses and Registered Midwives with skills and theoretical knowledge to work autonomously and across a variety of clinical settings involving children and families.

Ceremony 10 – Wednesday 14 September – 12 noon

Shaye Candish

General Secretary, New South Wales Nurses and Midwives' Association

Shaye Candish will deliver the Occasional Address

Shaye was recently appointed General Secretary of the New South Wales Nurses & Midwives’ Association. A registered nurse specialising in emergency care, Shaye joined the trade union as an organiser within the public health sector team in 2013 before quickly rising to the role of Lead Organiser.

Shaye then went on to manage the Association’s aged care and private health sector team, and in August last year she was appointed Assistant General Secretary and Branch Assistant Secretary.

As well as advocating for better working lives for the Association’s 74,000 members, along with nurses and midwives globally, she is dedicated to improving nurse-to-patient ratios across all sectors, and achieving greater work, health and safety outcomes across the industry.

Before becoming a union organiser, Shaye worked in the Emergency Department of a metropolitan hospital in south-west Sydney. While the job of driving meaningful and lasting change can be tough, she says her passion for the work comes from knowing what can be achieved when people work together.

Ceremony 11 – Wednesday 14 September – 2:30pm

Professor Esther Chang

Professor Esther Chang will be accorded the title of Emeritus Professor and deliver the Occasional Address

Professor Esther Chang recently retired as Professor of Nursing and Professor of Aged and Palliative Care after 26 years of outstanding service to the University. As a Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, leader, researcher and educator, Professor Chang has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to improving health care and providing guidance for future generations of nurses and midwives.

Professor Chang commenced her long career in nursing in 1968, when she undertook her General Nursing Certificate at the Royal Perth Hospital. She then worked in Australia and Singapore before combining her nursing with academia, working as a university tutor in 1985. Professor Chang completed a Master of Educational Administration from the University of NSW, before going on to complete her PhD on Professional Socialisation of Tertiary Nursing Graduates in the workforce at the same University in 1993.

After spending several years at the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Chang joined Western Sydney University in 1995 as an Associate Professor of Research. Since then, she has performed a number of senior and executive roles at the University’s Hawkesbury campus, prior to the 2000 amalgamation of the three Federation members into what is now Western Sydney University. Her roles have included, Head of School, Dean of the Faculty of Health, and Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor Academic. She has also held roles as Director of International and Business, Director of Research, and Director of Higher Degree Research programs for the School of Nursing and Midwifery.

Professor Chang has engaged with industry and has made a significant and substantive contribution to advancing nursing education and practice. Her leadership in international and entrepreneurship activities is evidenced through the development and instigation of course work programs taught at the Hong Kong Baptist University for over 15 years. She was also instrumental in the development of the University’s highly successful Bachelor of Nursing Graduate Entry program, which provides professional accreditation and gives international students eligibility to register as a nurse in Australia.

Professor Chang has a distinguished record of research, successfully securing over $3 million in funding during her career from entities such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council, the National Heart Foundation, the Health Department, and numerous partnership grants with industry. In 2010, she introduced into Australia the Namaste Care approach to end-of-life care for people with dementia and received competitive funding to evaluate the model of care in conjunction with a Western Sydney partner. Following the success of this research, aged care providers around Australia have adopted Namaste Care. Professor Chang was also Director of the Centre for Research and Healthy Futures at the University’s Hawkesbury Campus, and, prior to her retirement, led the School’s Aged Care and Palliation (ACAP) research team.

Additionally, Professor Chang has supervised over 30 students throughout her time at the University, as well as supported and mentored numerous junior staff and early career researchers.

Professor Chang is currently an adjunct honorary Clinical Research Fellow in the Sydney West Area Health Service and a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing. She has held a number of directorships and Board positions, including Director of the Executive Committee for the Greater Sydney Conference, and Director of Avondale University Council.

Professor Chang has an outstanding publication record of 90 peer reviewed journal articles, 18 co-authored books, and 30 book chapters, in addition to research reports and conference presentations.

Ceremony 12 – Thursday 15 September – 9:30am

Ms Patricia d’Apice OAM

Patricia d’Apice will receive a Community Fellowship and deliver the Occasional Address

Patricia d’Apice [Dap-i-chee] is a Lead Consultant and Teacher of Vision Impairment at NextSense, formally the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, where she has worked for the past 15 years. Tricia is also the founder of dAp dots, a collection of Braille books and resources that help with learning and understanding the basics of the United English Braille code by providing an effective foundation to Braille literacy for parents and children.

Tricia was first exposed to learning and teaching Braille in her 20s, when she commenced work at St Lucy’s School in Wahroonga, a co-educational Catholic school for students with disabilities. Tricia remained at St Lucy’s for 20 years, first as a teacher and then Deputy Principal. While at St Lucy’s, she authored I do like it, a braille reading program designed to tap into the interests of students learning to read braille. From there, she taught for a year at the Vision Australia School in Melbourne, before moving to the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, now NextSense. Tricia works within the NextSense Connected Services Team where she is dedicated to supporting, via telepractice, the educational journey of young people from rural and remote areas, who are blind or have low vision.

In 2016, Tricia was awarded the NSW Premier’s Independent Order of Odd Fellows Centre for Educational and Medical Research Itinerant Support Teacher (Vision) scholarship in recognition of her work in identifying a lack of empirical data on braille literacy rates. With the funds from the scholarship, Tricia led a Trans-Tasman research study that involved assessing existing Braille literacy rates of students across Australia and New Zealand. The study found that the reading fluency of braille readers was many years behind that of their sighted peers. Tricia’s work also highlighted the challenges that parents of visually impaired children face in investing time and resources into their children’s literacy. Additionally, braille books are rarely, if ever, available at bookstores or local libraries and parents themselves seldom know the braille code.

To close this gap in reading fluency, Tricia developed dAp Dots, a high-quality collection of braille books and resources that are designed to provide an effective foundation to braille literacy for parents and children. dAp Dots includes a range of “print at home” books, from personalised “experience books” for preschool children, to story books and curriculum books.

With a Graduate Diploma in Educational Studies and a Master of Education, both from this University, Tricia is an Adjunct Lecturer at Renwick College, now NextSense Institute, a state-of-the-art educational facility that offers leading postgraduate studies and continuing professional education programs in sensory disability. Tricia is also an organiser of NextSense’s Braille Camp, an annual camp for NextSense Connected services clients.

Tricia has been the Pacific Regional Secretary for the International Council for Education of People with Vision Impairment since 2006 and was the former NSW Convenor, South Pacific Division, for Educators in Vision Impairment. She is an Honorary Life Member for South Pacific Educators in Vision Impairment and was the Convenor of the Sydney Braille Forum from 2016-2017.

In 2022, Tricia was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia, for service to education for people with vision impairment.

Ceremony 13 – Thursday 15 September – 12 noon

Dr Jenny Donovan

Chief Executive Officer, Australian Education Research Organisation

Jenny Donovan will deliver the Occasional Address

Dr Jenny Donovan is the CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Prior to this role, she established and led the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) within the NSW Department of Educaton for eight years.

Dr Donovan began her career as a high school teacher in Sydney’s western suburbs. She has worked in a number of education roles in operational and policy areas, including some years as Deputy Director of a not-for-profit education assessment agency at the University of New South Wales. She was also Managing Director of the National Learning Progressions and Online Formative Assessment Initiative, a national priority project for Australian education ministers.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma of Education from Macquarie University, a Master of Arts (Honours) from the University of NSW, and a PhD in History from the University of Sydney.

Ceremony 14 – Thursday 15 September – 2:30pm

Jake Burgess

Co-Founder and Managing Director, Sydney Zoo

Jake Burgess will deliver the Occasional Address

Entrepreneur Jake Burgess is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sydney Zoo, which opened in late 2019 next to Western Sydney Parklands. Deeply interested in animal conservation and the environment, it was Jake’s passion to develop and operate a world class zoo in Western Sydney to cater to the interests of local communities.

Jake is a former partner and shareholder of Quay Partners, a Private Equity investment firm (now called Stafford Capital Partners). He was at Quay Partners between 2004 and 2012 and was jointly responsible for all aspects of marketing, administration, investment and governance of the Quay Partners business and its funds. In 2005, he was made one of the youngest private equity partners in Australia.

Jake has extensive capital raising, strategic, transactional and governance experience gained during his time in the private equity industry. He has sat on the advisory boards of leading private equity firms and in 2010 was elected to the Board of the peak industry body – the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL).

Jake graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 1998 from the University of Sydney, where he specialised in groundwater studies, hydrogeology and marine sciences. He has an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (2002).

Ceremony 15 – Friday 16 September – 9:30am

Richard Abela

Executive Director, Oldfields Holdings Limited

Richard Abela will deliver the Occasional Address

For over 13 years, Richard has held the positions of Managing Director & Chief Executive with both a large European multinational organisation and an Australian public company, and after almost six years as CEO and Managing Director at Oldfields Holdings, Richard was recently appointed as an Executive Director to the Board of the ASX-listed company. Oldfields has been a trusted iconic Australian brand for more than a century.

After an extremely challenging period, Oldfields, which has traditionally been a manufacturer of high-quality, handcrafted paintbrushes, has now returned as an innovative marketer, importer and manufacturer of a range of products that include scaffolding and paint tools, with manufacturing facilities in both Sydney and China.

Most recently, Richard led the turnaround of Oldfields by refocusing the business back to its core values, returning to an innovation strategy, and in doing so has identified new growth opportunities for Oldfields both domestically and internationally.

Richard was raised in Sydney’s western suburbs. He studied accounting and finance, and then went on to complete an MBA specialising in marketing. Richard has been part of the School of Business’ External Advisory Committee for 10 years, and a sessional academic for over 6 years, teaching across a number of disciplines. He is also an Adjunct Fellow of the School of Business.

Richard is a Knight in the Order of St John and holds the position of Trustee. He is also a volunteer member in one of the Blue Mountains Fire & Rescue Community Fire Units.

Ceremony 16 – Friday 16 September – 12 noon

Alisdair Barr

Founder and CEO, Striver

Alisdair Barr will deliver the Occasional Address

Alisdair Barr is the Founder and CEO at Striver – a human resources digital platform that helps firms attract, engage and retain the best graduate talent. Striver works with new entrants to the accounting, financial planning and wealth management sectors and supports thousands of university students and graduates each year to be career-ready. To date, it has placed nearly 1,000 graduates in fulfilling careers across Australia.

Before launching his platform, Alisdair had his own personal experience of not being able to find a suitable entry-level graduate role. After commencing further studies in Financial Planning at Deakin University and working in various financial planning firms, he gained his professional break with one of Australia’s biggest banks in 2003 while he also completed his Master of Business Administration at the Australian Graduate School of Management at the University of New South Wales.

He left the corporate sector in 2011 to build a social enterprise, working with indigenous communities in North-west Australia to help improve financial literacy. This was recognised by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission’s MoneySmart publication. In 2013 Alisdair established a side project that allowed him to pursue his passion for making a difference in people’s lives. This project has evolved into the platform, Striver.

Ceremony 17 – Friday 16 September – 2:30pm

Nicholas El-Khoury

Managing Director and Founder of St Trinity Property Group

Nicholas El-Khoury will deliver the Occasional Address

Nicholas El-Khoury is Managing Director and Founder of St Trinity Property Group, a property development company which aims to create sustainable communities through innovative property development. To date, Nicholas has led St Trinity in delivering $1 billion in mixed use developments in NSW and Queensland, overseeing all parts of the development lifecycle.

Nicholas has more than 18 years of experience in corporate law, investment banking and property development. His work in top-tier law firms as well as international and local investment banks, has seen him involved in large corporate transactions at Herbert Smith Freehills, Credit Suisse, and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Nicholas draws on his multi-disciplinary background to address the challenges in his current role, including delivering multi-dimensional solutions and aligning competing stakeholder interests.

Being a first generation migrant, Nicholas is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and sharing his personal experiences.

Nicholas holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Project Management) from the University of Technology, Sydney. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Real Estate Institute of NSW and the Law Society of NSW.

Outside of academia and professional life, Nicholas' greatest learnings have come from raising his five children and supporting his local community.