After more than a century of graduations, Queensland’s largest university is celebrating a major milestone this December: 250,000 graduates.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said it was a momentous occasion for the University, but also for Queensland.
“As Queensland’s first university, UQ has been crucial to the growth, advancement and prosperity of our state and the nation,” Professor Høj said.
“Graduating 250,000 students means we have contributed to the global pool of knowledge leaders who are transforming communities here and in over 170 countries around the world.”
“Our graduates are among our greatest assets, so this December is a significant milestone in our 108 year history,” Professor Høj said.
Among UQ’s outstanding graduates are Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, science pioneer Dorothy Hill, Chair of the Productivity Commission Peter Harris, Nobel Laureate and immunologist Professor Peter Doherty, 26th Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey, DowDuPont Executive Chairman and Dow Chemical Company CEO Andrew Liveris, triple Emmy Award-winning production designer and art director Deborah Riley, co-inventor of the heart stent Dr Gary Roubin, Flight Centre Founder Graham Turner, University of California San Francisco Chancellor Professor Sam Hawgood, triple Grammy award-winning musician Tim Munro, best-selling author Kate Morton, materials scientist and chemical engineer Professor Max Lu and celebrity chef Ben Milbourne.
“The list of UQ’s graduates is long, impressive and extremely diverse and I am enormously proud to watch that list swell with over 8000 students graduating this December,” Professor Høj said.
“Our graduates have come from diverse communities throughout the world, bringing with them unique ideas and perspectives. On graduating they become a part of our UQ community, an impressive cohort that has worked to better themselves and the world.”
The University of Queensland Graduation ceremonies will run from December 7 to 15 at UQ’s St Lucia and Gatton campuses.
A list of notable UQ Alumni is online here.
Professor Høj said students graduated from UQ with the resilience to manage the uncertainties ahead as new technology and innovation leads to entirely new career paths.
“Receiving a qualification from a world-class university is a passport to global opportunities and access to an extraordinary network of other graduates.”
The University conferred its first degrees on two women and three men 104 years ago in 1913.
A full list of ceremony dates and times is available here. The official December 2018 graduations hashtag is #UQ250K
Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au or 07 3346 0561 to arrange media passes.
Some notable UQ graduates are listed below:
- The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Current Queensland Premier and Minister for the Arts.
- Tim Munro, a Triple-Grammy-winning musician.
- Kev Carmody, Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame
- Dorothy Hill, a pioneer of women in science
- Dr Graham Colditz, a highly cited health researcher in the fields of cancer and epidemiology
- Melanie Wright OAM, Olympic gold medallist.
- Anne Cross, CEO of Uniting Care Queensland
- John Eales AM, a former Australian rugby union captain.
- Deborah Riley, triple Emmy Award-winning production designer and art director who has worked on Game of Thrones.
- Professor Megan Davis, The University of New South Wales’ first Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous
- Dame Quentin Bryce, former Australian Governor-General
- Stephen Moore, former Australian Wallabies rugby union captain
- Professor Adele Green, a leading melanoma researcher
- Andrew Liveris, DowDuPont Executive Chairman and Dow Chemical Company CEO
- Paul de Jersey, the 26th Governor of Queensland.
- Dane Lam, the Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra.
- Janelle Weissman, Executive Director of UN Women National Committee Australia
- Kate Morton, a New York Times Bestselling author
- Dami Im, Australia’s Eurovision nominee 2016, placed second.
- Dr Sam Hawgood, President University of California San Francisco (UCSF) (top 20 in the world).
- Sylvia Jeffreys, News presenter, Nine Network’s Today show.
- Professor Max Lu, a world-leading scientist in materials science and chemical engineering.
- Ben Milbourne celebrity chef
- Professor Michael McRobbie, Indiana University President
- Michael Ware Award-winning journalist and documentarian.
- Professor Edward Byrne, President and Principal at King’s College London
- Marian Wilkinson, A multi-award winning investigative journalist whose contributions to public discourse have included some
- Julieanne Alroe, The CEO and Managing Director of Brisbane Airport Corporation.
- Mark McGowan, The 30th and current Premier of Western Australia.
- Ann Sherry, The Carnival Australia Executive Chairman.
- Dr Dimity Dornan, entrepreneur, bionics activist and speech pathologist
- Professor Peter Doherty, A Nobel Prize Laureate, veterinary surgeon and medical researcher. Named the 1997 Australian of the Year.
- Andrew Cameron highly decorated nurse and humanitarian worker
- Greg Flynn, a multi-disciplined entrepreneur and the founder of a billion-dollar food franchise empire in the US.
- Nick Earls, a doctor and writer who has become one of Australia’s best-loved authors.
- Mark Sowerby, The Founder and former Managing Director of Blue Sky Alternative Investments Limited.
- Carl Smith, a 2017 Walkley Award recipient and multiple-award winning science journalist who works for the ABC in Canberra.
- Cheng Lei, a 2017 Walkley Award recipient and multiple-award winning science journalist who works for the ABC in Canberra.
- Dr Gary Roubin, The co-inventor of the heart stent.
- Matthew Versluys , A coveted gaming engineer currently working with Bonfire in California.
- Dr Chadden Hunter, A wildlife filmmaker and Episode Producer for Planet Earth 2
- George Brandis, The Commonwealth Attorney-General, Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Senate.
- Catherine Tanna, A Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Managing Director of EnergyAustralia.
- Kathryn Fagg, A Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia
- Emeritus Professor Ian Harper, A Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia and one of Australia’s best-known economists.