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].
Name: Danka Sampson
Achievement: Dr Danka Sampson, from UWA's Medical School and the Lions Eye Institute, has been elected a 2027 Fellow of Optica by the society’s board of directors. Optica is dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving, and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Optica Fellow status is reserved for members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics and is limited to no more than 10 per cent of the membership. Dr Sampson is being honoured for exceptional contributions to biomedical optics and vision research by promoting open science and advancing method standardisation, and for optics education.
Name: Esther Oh
Achievement: Esther Oh, who graduated from UWA with a Masters in commercial and resources law, is the recipient of the 2027 Australian of the Year for Western Australia award. After her son lost his vision due to delayed treatment during COVID-19 lockdown and skills shortages, Ms Oh founded Agili8 to teleport the 'virtual’ eyes and hands of multi-disciplinary medical experts – using smart glasses and smartphones – to remote frontline areas. Despite battling an aggressive cancer, Ms Oh pioneered her telehealth solution with remote Aboriginal communities to deliver a culturally safe model of care. Ms Oh will join recipients from the other states and territories for the national awards, to be announced on the 25 January 2027 in Canberra.
Name: Belle Selkirk
Achievement: Belle Selkirk, from UWA's School of Indigenous Studies, is a runner up in the 2026 Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences (ACDHS) Allied Health Indigenous Leadership & Engagement Award. The award recognises outstanding contributions to advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori leadership, engagement and participation across allied health education, research and professional practice. A Noongar woman and experienced clinical psychologist, Ms Selkirk's work spans clinical psychology, research, education, professional supervision and engagement with accreditation and regulatory bodies, with a strong commitment to amplifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and strengthening Indigenous representation across the psychology profession. Central to her approach is the importance of relational and intergenerational responsibility. Through mentoring and supervising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychology students and practitioners, supporting community-informed research and contributing to professional discussions, she works to create opportunities for future generations to flourish. The awards were announced at our Symposium Awards Dinner in Perth on 21 October 2026.
Congratulations UWA staff, alumni and students.
Image top: Danka Sampson, Esther Oh and Belle Selkirk.