2025 Outstanding Alumnus Liza-Jane McBride
Liza-Jane is the Chief Allied Health Officer for Queensland, responsible for providing high-level strategic leadership, policy change, and education strategies for the allied health workforce of over 9000 (more than a quarter of the total health workforce). She has a particular interest in primary care, rural and remote practice and growing the leadership capacity for Indigenous Australians. In 2021 she led the establishment of a Director of Allied Health First Nations People role. Liza-Jane is also an adjunct professor and an associate clinical professor in QUT's Faculty of Health.
2025 Outstanding Young Alumnus Lottie Dalziel
Lottie Dalziel is an award-winning sustainability advocate, educator, and author. In 2018 Lottie founded Banish – a platform dedicated to empowering Australians with the knowledge and tools to live more sustainably through education-first initiatives, corporate workshops and community programs. Lottie also established the Banish Recycling and Diversion (BRAD) Program, which successfully diverted more than one million pieces of plastic waste from landfill in 2024 alone. In 2023 Lottie was named New South Wales Young Australian of the Year and has been featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 for her contributions to sustainability and entrepreneurship.
2025 Outstanding Sports Alumnus Dr Ross Pinder
Dr Ross Pinder is the learning design lead at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). In this role, Ross spearheads the development of innovative learning strategies to enhance athlete performance and coach development across various sports disciplines. Before joining the AIS, Ross was a skill acquisition specialist at Paralympics Australia, where he led a team of sports scientists and applied researchers to develop world-leading learning environments with athletes, coaches and practitioners. His contributions were instrumental in establishing the Connected Coaches group in 2020, a platform aimed at revolutionising knowledge sharing and collaboration among coaches.
2024 Outstanding Sports Alumnus Ally Anderson
Ally is a proud Gangulu and Waka Waka woman who has had an impressive AFLW career. Ally’s accolades include three Brisbane Lions Best and Fairest awards, two All-Australian selections, and the title of ‘2023 Brisbane Black Excellence Sportsperson of the Year’. Ally also mentors and coaches young Indigenous athletes and promotes inclusivity, exemplified by her use of Auslan at the 2023 AFLW Grand Final.
2024 Outstanding Alumnus Wendy Zernike
Wendy has made a significant impact throughout her healthcare career, specifically in nursing and midwifery. Her leadership and strategic roles have include her most recent position as Board Member for the Endeavour Foundation. Her leadership in roles such as Executive General Manager, Bolton Clarke, and Director of Clinical Education at Wesley Hospital, significantly advanced nursing practices in Australia. Wendy also serves on several boards and is a Clinical Associate Professor at QUT.
2024 Outstanding Sports Alumnus Richard McInnes
Richard has impacted sport as a coach and executive. As the Executive General Manager of Sport and Community Capability at the Australian Sports Commission, he supports national sporting organisations. His leadership roles at Cricket Australia, Netball Queensland and Water Polo Australia, along with his mentorship through The National Sports Collective, have created amazing opportunities for athletes to achieve their dreams.
