International business and community leaders, advocates for human rights and equity, and champions of education and public health will be honoured during next week’s winter graduation ceremonies at The University of Western Australia.
Five Honorary Doctorates and a Chancellor’s Medal will be awarded during the four-day winter graduation series, which will see 2,164 students receive their degrees across nine ceremonies from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 August.
Globally recognised business leader Zoë Yujnovich will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University in recognition of her contributions and extraordinary services to the private sector while Singaporean engineer Richard Cheng will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University for his contributions and extraordinary services to the community.
Image: Globally recognised business leader Zoë Yujnovich.
Public health physician Dr Tarun Weeramanthri AM will receive an Honorary Degree (Medicine), recognising his academic achievements, contributions and extraordinary services to the public sector and distinguished leader, policy reformer and advocate Maria Osman will be awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws In recognition of her exceptional contribution to public and community service, human rights advocate.
UK-based Dr Sally Joyston-Bechal will also be awarded, in absentia, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University in recognition of her exceptional academic achievements; and eminent clinician-educator Winthrop Professor Fiona Lake will receive the Chancellor’s Medal, recognising her outstanding and sustained contributions to the University’s teaching, research and community.
Ms Yujnovich, who received a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) from UWA in 1995 and an Executive MBA from the University of Utah in 2004, began her career with Rio Tinto, holding senior management positions across diverse international markets, before joining Shell as Executive Vice President.
Currently CEO of UK electricity and gas utility company National Grid, Ms Yujnovich became an advocate of STEM for women and girls after realising she was one of a few women studying engineering.
Mr Cheng, who graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) (Civil) Hons in 1986, is a Singaporean civil and structural engineer and currently a director of Environ Construction Co (Pte), a company specialising in non-residential building construction.
He maintains a strong attachment to his family in Hainan Province, volunteers as the Head of Youth Division and Facilitator at The Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan and is co-founder of Hainan Smile, a collaborative humanitarian project between Singapore and Hainan Province in China.
Mr Cheng has supported UWA Alumni Scholarships and the Cheng Tim Leck First in the Family Scholarships since 2001 and, through a more recent gift to the Richard Cheng Empowerment Scholarships, is supporting two UWA students from Avasara Academy, an educational institution in Pune, India, for young women with talent and drive but limited means, helping them overcome structural barriers to education.
Professor Weeramanthri graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1984 and completed his PhD at the University of Sydney.
He served as Chief Health Officer in WA from 2008 to 2018 and in the Northern Territory from 2004 to 2007 and steered the introduction of the Public Health Act 2016 in WA, replacing the old Health Act 1911.
In 2014, Professor Weeramanthri was awarded the Sidney Sax Medal by the Public Health Association of Australia and in 2018 received the Minister for Health’s Award, the highest individual excellence award given by WA Health.
Ms Osman's career has been defined by exceptional service to the public and commitment to equity, human rights and social justice.
Somali-English-Australian mother and proud grandmother, Ms Osman has spent more than 40 years advocating for gender equity, diversity, anti-racism and inter-cultural communication as a senior government policy adviser, community and human rights activist.
A former executive director of WA’s Office of Multicultural Interests and Office for Women’s Policy, she led the development and implementation of cutting-edge policies and programs, advocating for migrant and refugee women. One of her greatest legacies is the development of WA’s inaugural Women Report Card in 2004, a first in Australia.
Dr Joyston-Bechal was the first female student and female graduate of the inaugural UWA Bachelor of Dental Science in 1951. Although she achieved first class honours and was the highest achieving student, Dr Joyston-Bechal was not awarded Dux due to gender barriers at the time.
She went on to complete a Master of Dentistry and PhD and become a founding member of the WA Dental Study Group. While completing her Master of Science in New York in 1956, she worked with leading researchers in preventative dentistry, which shaped her lasting impact on Australian dentistry and inspired generations of women to pursue a dentistry career.
Professor Lake has made exceptional and enduring contributions to UWA and health professions education, nationally and internationally.
A consultant respiratory physician, she has held numerous senior roles at UWA, including Head of School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Eric Saint Chair Professor of Medicine, and Head of Medical Education at Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Health Care Group.
More than 7,000 students’ families and friends are expected to converge on UWA’s Crawley campus for the festivities.