The University of Western Australia has a continual roll call of awards, scholarships and prizes presented to staff and students.
To recognise these achievements, an article is published on the UWA news page on the website and in UWA Forward on the first week of every month. If you know of great awards or achievements across the University please email [email protected]
Achievement: PhD student Maira Alvi has been recognised with the Australian Water Awards student water prize.
Maira won the award for her project Deep Learning for Prognostics of Wastewater Treatment Facilities and was flown to Melbourne for the national awards presented at OzWater.
The judging panel commented on her ability to develop relevant and practical outcomes from her work as well as clearly and effectively communicate them during her presentation.
Maira thanked her PhD supervisors and research and industry collaborators for their guidance and mentorship throughout the project.
Name: Abbie Galvin
Achievement: UWA Architecture graduate Abbie Gavin was a joint winner of the Leadership in Sustainability Prize awarded by the Australian Institute of Architects.
The prize, announced at the institutes national conference, was awarded to The Government Architect NSW team, led by Ms Galvin and Paulo Macchia, for showcasing exceptional leadership in all aspects of sustainability.
The achievement demonstrates their commitment to environmental stewardship and serves as an inspiration for others striving for sustainable development and progressive urban strategy.
Name: Simon Anderson
Achievement: UWA Emeritus Professor Simon Anderson was recognised with the Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize by the Australian Institute of Architects.
He was awarded the prize for is dedication to his students and their learning, alongside a large publication record.
Professor Anderson was the Dean of the faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts at UWA from 2010 to 2016 and oversaw the transition of the faculty into the UWA School of Design. An internationally cited academic, Professor Anderson has shown that his commitment to the profession extends to aiding work and advising the New South Wales government.
Name: Connor Clarke
Achievement: Graduate Connor Clarke, who completed a Master of International Relations and International Law at UWA, has ben recognised for his contributions to sport and the community.
Mr Clarke received the Sport West RSM Australia Volunteer of the Year award at the 2023 WA Sport Awards. The award recognises a volunteer from community sport in WA who has made a positive difference to the opportunities and experiences available to others. He led the push for Kendo Renmei to be recognised as a State Sporting Association and was the driving force behind constitutional reform for the organisation.
Mr Clarke also received a special recognition at the 2024 Global Ties US IVLP Alumni Award for Social Innovation and Change awards for his pioneering approaches to promote social inclusion. The award recognises alumni of the US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program for high achievements driving social change through innovation in their home communities.
Name: Sophia Gerritsma
Achievement: UWA lecturer Sophia Gerritsma, from WA Centre for Rural Health and UWA Optometry, was part of a team recognised at the National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference awards.
The Eye Health Clinic at Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS) in Geraldton, where Ms Gerritsma supervises UWA Optometry students on rural placement, received the Excellence in Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health by Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations award.
GRAMS is a trailblazer in the field of eye care, leveraging innovative partnerships and programs to enhance access to eye health services for Aboriginal people across the Mid West region of WA.
The judges said the organisation’s collaboration with UWA exemplifies their commitment to innovation and leadership. The initiative addresses the immediate eye health care needs of Aboriginal community members and contributes to the development of a culturally safe eye care workforce for the future by delivering a unique learning experience for students of UWA’s Doctor of Optometry.
Name: Jialun Chen
Achievement: PhD student Jialun Chen, from Oceans Graduate School, received the OMAE Subrata Chakrabarti Young Professional Award.
Jialun received the award for his offshore engineering paper Weakly Nonlinear Surface Wave Prediction Using a Data-driven Method with the Help of Physical Understanding.
The annual award, announced at the International Conference on Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering, is given to a young professional who has presented an outstanding paper and recognises both the originality and technical merit of the manuscript and the delivery of the presentation.
The award is named after the late Subrata Chakrabarti who was a leader in the field of hydrodynamics and fluid structure interaction in the design of harbor, coastal, and offshore structures.
Congratulations UWA staff, alumni and students.