UWA Engineering graduate and Honorary Doctorate recipient, Dr Jim Giumelli (BE '69, DEng '17), has been named 2026 Western Australian of the Year for his visionary civil construction career and youth mentorship. It was a big night for UWA’s community, with three winners from a pool of eight alumni nominees in this year’s awards.
As founder of civil construction company Ertech, Dr Giumelli is renowned for introducing an employee ownership model, giving staff a stake in the company’s fortunes, with 34 employees today also being co-owners. He also founded Motivation Foundation (originally Ertech Construction Academy) to mentor and train young people - many from disadvantaged backgrounds - to reach their career aspirations. Beyond business and mentoring, Dr Giumelli is known for his generosity as a philanthropist, giving through Ertech and the Giumelli Family Foundation, supporting medical research, UWA's Ezone project and scholarships for rural students.
Dr Daniel Hunt (MBBS '11, DMD '16), a Jaru and Indjibarndi man, General Practitioner, and nationally recognised leader in Aboriginal health, was named 2026 Woodside Energy Professions Award Winner, while innovative education leader, and Co-Founder of Elucidate Education, Jack Anderson (BPhil Hons '23), was awarded BHP Youth Award Winner, for his growing influence in global education and policy reform.
Image: 2026 Western Australian of the Year award winners (left to right) Dr Daniel Hunt, Lucky Oceans, Jack Anderson, Dr Jim Giumelli, Professor Colleen Hayward AM, Mark Glasson and Stephen Michael. Source: Celebrate WA.
Dr Hunt has dedicated his career to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities across Western Australia, combining clinical leadership with strong advocacy for health equity. He spent more than a decade at Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service, where he served in senior leadership roles, and has led initiatives in infectious disease control, including implementing large-scale point-of-care syphilis testing to support early diagnosis and prevention. In addition to clinical work as a Homeless Medicine Consultant at Royal Perth Hospital, Dr Hunt contributes to state and national health policy through multiple advisory and governance roles, ensuring Aboriginal voices are embedded in system design and reform.
Jack Anderson is an emerging global education leader whose work is focused on reducing inequity and improving access to learning. As Co-Founder of not-for-profit Elucidate Education, he has helped deliver textbooks and digital resources to more than 80,000 students annually, with a model that supports low socioeconomic schools. A recipient of major international recognition including a Winston Churchill Fellowship and selection as a Schwarzman Scholar, Jack’s work spans research into high-performing education systems, supporting student pathways into leading universities, and delivering practical initiatives that improve outcomes for rural, Indigenous and underserved communities across Australia.
Other UWA alumni nominated were Dr Carolyn Chard AM (HonDMus '23), Dr Dayna Pool (PhD '16), Gareth Shanthikumar (BCom '19, GradCertBusPsych '21), Dr Haseeb Riaz (BBiomedSc '21, MD '24 ) and Professor Nick Gottardo (PhD '09). Their recognition in the 2026 Western Australian of the Year awards reflects the meaningful difference they’re making in our communities.