2007 winners

 

(Please note: This is archival information and may not reflect current profiles)

Pia-Angela Francini

Faculty of Built Environment & Engineering Award Winner and 2007 Chancellor's Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner

Pia holds one of the top jobs in the oil and gas industry. She joined global engineering firm Schlumberger in 1994 after gaining her a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from QUT. Pia initially worked as a Field and Technical Engineer, Field Service and Operations Manager in Australia, North America, South East Asia. While in Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia, Pia participated in the Schlumberger Excellence in Education Development Program. She worked with local communities to highlight the importance of science and engineering to students, and providing connectivity to schools in remote areas. In 2002, Pia was appointed Global Business Development Manager for Well Production Services at the forefront of driving the strategy which almost doubled the business, and directed the successful commercialization and performance of multiple key technologies within the research and development portfolio. In 2003, Pia was part of the gold medal-winning team of the prestigious 'Performed by Schlumberger' Chairman's award with a technology designed to significantly increase production. Other technologies for enhancing reservoir production followed. By 2004 Pia was Vice President of Well Services for North and South America, responsible for operations for over 6,000 personnel, 9,000 assets, and lead the business to almost double to over USD 3billion. That year, Pia was awarded the RaderEnergy Key Women in Energy 'Visionary' Award. From 2006, as Reservoir Production Group Personnel Manager, Pia was responsible for the Human Resources strategy, and over 20,000 personnel world-wide. Pia is also a member of the World Oil Next Generation Committee. Comprised of graduates of the last two decades, this committee represents the next generation of leaders in the petroleum industry who meet with energy executives to highlight the challenges, issues and opportunities facing future managers and engineers in the industry. Holder of several patents, in 2007, Pia graduated from Harvard Business School's Advanced Management program, and is a board member of the Houston Ballet. Pia is in the process of moving to Perth, where she will take on the role of General Manager of Schlumberger Oilfield Services for Australasia.

Stuart Parkyn

Faculty of Business 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

Stuart is one of a new generation of film professionals raising the profile of the Australian film industry internationally. Stuart has produced six short films, the latest of which, Piranha, was released in May this year. These films have screened at seventy national and international film festivals, amassing over forty awards including fifteen for Best Film and two for Best Screenplay. The Saviour was awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and was nominated for an Oscar at the 79th Academy Awards. The Saviour was also a finalist at the 2006 Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in France, the most prestigious festival of its kind in the world. Apart from short films and animations, Stuart has also produced television commercials and is currently developing two feature film projects. Stuart gained a Bachelor of Business (Communications) majoring in Film and Television in 1992. He also holds a Master of Arts from the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

David Kidd

Creative Industries Faculty 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

David's acting and singing career began in the early nineties with Brisbane street theatre and cabaret acts, the Clefhangers and Kundelini Brothers. A prolific writer and composer, David wrote songs, musicals, children's theatre and comic opera. He toured for the Queensland Arts Council and worked with Opera Queensland, Australian Rock Theatre, and the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Soloists. In 1998, David secured a role in The Ten Tenors, hailed internationally as an 'Australian sensation'. World tours followed and the international release of seven albums, two of which went gold and platinum in Australia. They have recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and performed at the Sydney Opera House and London???s Royal Albert Hall. Formal recognition for the Tenors came in the form of a 'Mo' Award for Most Outstanding Variety Group. In 2002, David was awarded a Centenary Medal for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Music Industry. David holds a Bachelor of Arts (Drama) and Masters of Music from QUT. David also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Operatic Performance from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

Lynne Hinton

Faculty of Education 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner and Special Excellence Award Winner for Excellence in Educational Innovation and Leadership

Lynne is Principal of Buranda State School. Since her appointment in 1996, Lynne's gift for education and her dynamic leadership have turned Buranda into an exemplary primary school. This success has been underpinned by the teaching of Philosophy to all students, with particular emphasis on critical, creative and caring thinking. Lynne's innovative approach to primary education has generated much interest among educators. She has influenced educational practice in schools in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East as well as in Australia through presentations, training, and an on-line course on teaching philosophy (with rights also sold to a US university). Lynne's work has been recognised with a National Excellence in Teaching Award, a National Award for Outstanding Contribution to Quality Schooling in the Area of Leadership, and in 2006, a Premier's Smart State School Leadership Award. Lynne holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Education from QUT.

Dr Peter Keller

Faculty of Health 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner and Special Excellence Award Winner for Professional Excellence in Health

Peter graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Optometry in 1984. Over the following years he combined private practice with a range of academic, clinical research and business interests before his latest challenge as CEO of Neuroscience Trials Australia (NTA). In leading NTA, Peter has become a key figure in the building of a national infrastructure to support clinical trials. Established in 2001, NTA supports clinical research across the neurosciences, including the dementias, epilepsy, migraine, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular disease, neurosurgery, pain and stroke. NTA provides services to support investigator initiated and commercially sponsored trials in the translation of quality research into clinical practice, with the aim of making a significant contribution to better health outcomes for the Australian community. Peter also holds an MBA, post-graduate qualifications in ocular therapeutics, a Master of Health Ethics and a PhD for corneal topography research conducted within the Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the Lions Eye Institute.

Caitlin O'Brien

Faculty of Humanities and Human Services 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

Caitlin is Chief Compliance and Business Integrity (CBI) Officer for the Veterans Health Administration in the United States. VHA is the largest integrated health care system in the United States and serves America's veterans. She advises the Under Secretary for Health on matters relating to compliance and organisational integrity in the health sector, and leads a national program office that oversees around 200 CBI Officers in the field. Previously, Caitlin was part of the Health Services Team at international consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton where she managed important national initiatives designed to produce progressive change in health care. At that stage, Caitlin had already developed a distinguished career as Senior Vice President of the Council of Ethical Organisations. Caitlin's work there assisted cohesion and development of a common vision of compliance within the health services community in the US. Having completed a Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery, Caitlin came to QUT to undertake a Master of Arts in Applied Ethics (Research) in Humanities and Human Services.

Campbell Webb

Faculty of Information Technology 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

Campbell is a rising star of the international information technology industry. At under 40 years of age, Campbell is Vice President, Server Technologies IT at Oracle Corporation in California. Oracle is a 18 billion dollar company with 75,000 employees in over ninety countries. Campbell oversees a 50 million dollar budget and 180 professionals worldwide. Campbell's career with Oracle began in Brisbane in 1994. In the twelve years that followed, Campbell rose through the ranks of management positions within Oracle's IT organisation. Along the way, he accumulated extensive expertise in IT applications and emerging technologies showcasing new trends in the IT sector. He developed many new business management tools and technological solutions which contributed substantially to Oracle's growth and success. In 2003 he was one of ten people selected from 5,000 for Oracle's personalised executive coaching program. His most recent appointment is testament to his outstanding leadership of people, projects and technological change. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Business (Computing) and Bachelor of Business (Accountancy).

Michael Wadley

Faculty of Law 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

Michael has made an outstanding contribution to a cutting edge area of legal practice. He is one of a small group of Australian lawyers who have a global perspective on providing legal services to business. Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1984 and within four years, had progressed to the top of the private legal profession as partner at O'Shea Corser Wadley. Much of Michael's early career was centred on business and corporate law. Michael then moved to Hong Kong and China where he represented or managed the operations of other law firms. Realising the enormous potential for providing legal advisory services to foreign business in China, Michael established Wadley Business Consulting in Shanghai. The firm has been highly successful in meeting the complex challenges created by differences between the Australian and Chinese legal systems and has contributed significantly to many successful Australian business entrants into the Chinese market.

Rhonda White

Faculty of Science 2007 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner

Rhonda qualified with a Diploma of Pharmacy from QIT in 1963, and with fellow pharmacist Terry, founded the Terry White Chemists Group. Within a decade, the business had grown into a national brand of over 110 pharmacies serviced by the franchise company which they established with their son Anthony, Terry White Management. Rhonda identified early the need to develop systems and disciplines for innovative retail management practices to respond to emerging retail pressures. Rhonda also recognised the social and industry trends working to ensure rapid growth in the pharmaceutical industry. Now Managing Director of the White Retail Group, Rhonda is acknowledged as one of Brisbane's most successful businesswomen. In 2000 in Venice, she received the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World, Star Group International Award. In 2004, the Pharmacy Guild honoured her with a Distinguished Service Award. Rhonda also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Psychology.

Alen-Igor O'Hran

2007 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award Winner

At the age of 11, Alen fled to Poland from war-torn Bosnia. At 15, he was reunited with his mother and they immigrated to Australia. Three years later, Alen was accepted into QUT through the Faculty of Law Founders' Scholarship program (an equity bursary for disadvantaged students). Alen graduated in 2004 with Distinction in Accountancy and First Class Honours in Law and also received the Faculty of Business, Dean's Award for Excellence. Alen worked as Associate to the Hon. Justice Peter Dutney (Supreme Court), practised law at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and now is with Australian Customs in Canberra. He also lectured and tutored in the QUT's Faculties of Business and Law. Alen's achievements, community work and commitment to human rights have won him many honours, the most significant of which were 2005 Young Queenslander of the Year and 2006 Young Australian of the Year for Queensland. He is a shining example of what can be achieved through dedication and determination.