Prime Minister’s Prize for Science winner Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger is among 16 staff, students and graduates at The University of Western Australia to be named as a finalist in the 2021 Western Australian of the Year Awards. Winners will be announced on Friday 4 June.

The Western Australian of the Year Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution of Western Australians to our State, who have made an extraordinary impact in a range of fields over the past two years.

UWA finalists

Aboriginal award – Sponsored by Wesfarmers

• Adjunct Professor Juli Coffin, researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia and UWA Centre for Child Health Research

Arts and culture award – Sponsored by Woodside Energy

• Adjunct Associate Professor and Honorary Doctorate recipient Alec Coles (OBE DLitt '17)
• Dr Iain Grandage, Artistic Director of the Perth Festival (BMus '94, DMus '17) 

Business award – Sponsored by APM

• Nathan Bennett, Executive Director of the Perth Festival

Community award – Sponsored by Alcoa of Australia

• Clinical Associate Professor Chan Yoon Cheah, UWA Medical School (MBBS '04)
• Dr Richard Goyder AO, graduate (BCom '83, DCom '11)
• Leigh Andrew Hill, graduate (BA '15)

Professions award – Sponsored by HBF

• Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger AC, UWA School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing (DSc '89; staff)
• Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM, Head of UWA Centre for Child Health Research and Executive Director at The Kids Research Institute Australia
• Professor Chemmangot Nayar, graduate (PhD '86)
• Professor Michael Henderson, Honorary Fellow, UWA Medical School

Youth award – Sponsored by BHP

• Rhiannon Clarke, UWA Bachelor of Science student
• Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, graduate (BA '15)
• Dr Hayley Passmore, The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher, graduate (PhD '20)
• Yarlalu Thomas, UWA Medical School student
• Kendall Whyte, graduate (BSc '15, Grad Cert Bus '19)