Thirteen exceptional QUT alumni have been recognised for their contributions to their professions and the community – at local, national and international levels – at the 2025 QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards.
The awards were announced last night in Brisbane at the university’s Gardens Point campus.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil congratulated this year’s recipients who reflect the essence of our commitment to transformative education.
“It’s an honour to be able to take this time to celebrate the professional achievements to date,” Professor Sheil said.
The 2025 QUT Outstanding Alumni Awards recognised 13 graduates, across five categories.
They are:
Outstanding Alumnus: Devika Ghaisas, Senior Director, NVIDIA Corporation
Influential technologist Devika Ghaisas is the Senior Director of System Software at NVIDIA and has a Master of Applied Science (Computing) from QUT. With more than 25 years of experience working in the global technology industry, her alumni honour recognises her ongoing impact in shaping the future of intelligent systems. Her visionary leadership has driven innovation across generative AI, enterprise software and high-performance computing.
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Outstanding Alumnus: Liza-Jane McBride, Chief Allied Health Officer, Queensland Department of Health
As Queensland’s Chief Allied Health Officer, Liza-Jane McBride provides high-level strategic advice and leadership for a workforce of more than 9000 allied health professionals, including physiotherapists, pharmacists and medical radiation practitioners. She has a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from QUT, and is an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor with the university, where she contributes to the training of new health professionals.
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Outstanding Alumnus: Anthony Miller, Managing Director and CEO, Westpac Group
Westpac Group Chief Executive Officer Anthony Miller has been recognised for his leadership in banking and finance and his commitment to innovation and corporate responsibility. He is a QUT law graduate whose previous roles include being CEO of Deutsche Bank in Australia and New Zealand. Mr Miller is a member of the Council of the Australian Banking Association and holds directorships with the Institute of International Finance and the Financial Markets Foundation for Children.
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Outstanding Alumnus: Jo Porter, Managing Director and Executive Producer, Curio Pictures
Award-winning television executive and producer Jo Porter has been influential in shaping Australia’s screen industry and taking its storytelling global. She has a QUT Bachelor of Business (Communication) and is Managing Director of Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures, where she has overseen productions including The Artful Dodger. She was the executive producer of global phenomenon Wentworth for Fremantle Media, and produced All Saints, Always Greener, Headland and Packed to the Rafters while at the Seven Network.
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Outstanding Alumnus: Dr Daniel Timms, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, BiVACOR
Biomedical engineer Dr Daniel Timms is the inventor of the BiVACOR total artificial heart – a revolutionary titanium machine that uses a single spinning disk, suspended within a magnetic field, to propel blood to the lungs and around the body. He began working on the device for his engineering PhD project while he was a postgraduate student at QUT. Twenty years later, the device has now been implanted in patients during trials in the USA and Australia.
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Outstanding Young Alumnus: Lottie Dalziel, Founder and CEO, Banish
Environmental educator, author and entrepreneur Lottie Dalziel has been recognised for her national leadership in sustainability and her mission to help Australians make more informed choices. She is the founder of Banish, a platform that helps people reduce waste through education, innovation and community action. Ms Dalziel has a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition) and Bachelor of Media and Communication from QUT.
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Outstanding Young Alumnus: Courtney Stewart, Artistic Director and CEO, La Boite Theatre
Courtney Stewart’s alumni honour recognises her arts leadership and her commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices on the national stage. A creative industries graduate, she is a champion of multicultural dramaturgies and has been an artistic leader, director and change-maker for some of the country’s most prolific organisations, including seven years with the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2022, she was appointed Artistic Director and CEO of Queensland’s iconic La Boite Theatre.
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Outstanding Indigenous Australian Alumnus: Brian Bero, Principal and Co-Founder, Jaramer Legal
First Nations lawyer Brian Bero has been honoured for his leadership in law, advocacy and Indigenous economic development. The QUT law graduate is the co-founder, Principal and Director of Jaramer Legal, one of Australia’s first national Indigenous-owned law firms. A Meriam man, he was named National First Nations Senior Lawyer of the Year in 2024 and continues to contribute to industry through roles with ARENA and the First Nations Clean Energy Network.
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Outstanding Indigenous Australian Alumnus: Troy Casey, Managing Director, Blaklash
Proud Kamilaroi man and Blaklash Managing Director Troy Casey has been named a 2025 QUT Outstanding Indigenous Australian Alumnus, recognising his leadership in embedding First Nations voices across design, placemaking and the creative industries. He graduated from QUT in 2009 with a Bachelor of Journalism. Through Blaklash, Mr Casey has helped shape major public art and design projects that centre Indigenous culture and storytelling.
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Outstanding Sports Alumnus: Bronte Campbell OAM OLY, Co-CEO, Earthletica
Four-time Olympian and business leader Bronte Campbell OAM OLY has been named a 2025 QUT Outstanding Sports Alumnus for her achievements in and out of the pool. She graduated from QUT in 2022 with a Bachelor of Business (Public Relations) while competing internationally as part of the Australian Dolphins swim team. In 2024 she co-founded Earthletica, a sustainable activewear brand, alongside fellow QUT alumni Libby Babet and Chris Raleigh.
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Outstanding Sports Alumnus: Dr Ross Pinder, Learning Design Lead, Australian Institute of Sport
AIS sport scientist Dr Ross Pinder has been named a QUT Outstanding Sports Alumnus for his leading work in skill acquisition and his impact on elite athlete and coach development, particularly in Paralympic sport. He spent 10 years at Paralympics Australia in skill acquisition, performance and innovation and was recently seconded into the role of Learning Design Lead at the AIS. He completed his PhD at QUT on complex movements in fast-paced sports like cricket.
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Outstanding Community Impact Alumnus: Louise Allen, Head of Global Advocacy, Danish Refugee Council
Humanitarian and human rights advocate Louise Allen has spent two decades as a global advocate for refugees and marginalised communities. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from QUT and is now Head of Global Advocacy for the Danish Refugee Council, Denmark’s largest NGO and one of the few international organisations specialising in forced displacement. Prior to joining the Danish Refugee Council in 2024, Ms Allen was the Head of Policy, Advocacy and Communications for Plan International’s Ukraine Crisis Response.
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Outstanding Community Impact Alumnus: Dr Bianca Beetson, Executive Director, First Nations, Queensland Museum
Dr Bianca Beetson is a First Nations artist and cultural advocate who has been recognised for her decades-long contribution to Indigenous arts and cultural leadership. A proud Kabi Kabi, Wiradjuri and Ngemba woman, she graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) in 1996 and Honours in 1998. She is currently Executive Director, First Nations, at the Queensland Museum, and has been a practising artist for more than 29 years.
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Main photo, from left: Brian Bero; Virginia Allen, mum of Louise Allen; Liza-Jane McBride; Lottie Dalziel; Courtney Stewart; Dr Daniel Timms; QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil; Dr Ross Pinder; Devika Ghaisas; Jo Porter; Troy Casey; Dr Bianca Beetson.
Right strip from top: Bronte Campbell; Anthony Miller; Louise Allen.
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