Top Sports Business Woman and Leading Architect Honoured

Tuesday 6 September 2005

The University of Newcastle will honour exceptional graduates and students at this year's Convocation Awards to be held on Wednesday, 7 September 2005.

Samantha Martin, General Manager of Newcastle University Sport (NUSport), and Conjoint Professor Peter Stutchbury, leading Australian architect, will join the list of esteemed graduates who have been recognised by the University for their community contribution and professional achievements.

2004 Newton-John Award - Samantha Martin

The Newton-John Award, named after the late Professor Brin Newton-John, is presented to a graduate who has made a substantial contribution towards enhancing the quality of life in the community.

Samantha Martin has distinguished herself in the area of sport and sports administration as General Manager of NUSport, the organisation responsible for managing The Forum Sports and Aquatic Centre and sporting facilities at the Callaghan campus. NUSport has built a reputation for commitment to participation, sporting alliances, pathways to sporting excellence, sports education and research.

Samantha is a University Foundation Board member, Hunter Medical Research Institute Foundation member, Board member of the CommStrength Foundation for youth suicide prevention, Director of the Hunter Business Chamber and is a member of the Hunter Institute of Technology Advisory Council. She was awarded the 2002 Hunter Business Chamber Young Achiever of the Year Award, the 2002 NSW Young Business Woman Award and the 2003 Women of Enterprise Award in the Hunter Business Women's Network.

2004 Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence - Conjoint Professor Peter Stutchbury

First introduced in 1987, the Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence is awarded to a graduate with an outstanding record of professional excellence.

Peter Stutchbury is highly regarded by his colleagues. His appreciation of place and form and commitment to sustainability and understanding of legibility in built form have become central to his designs, earning him a reputation as one of Australia's leading architects.

Completing his Architecture degree with Honours at Newcastle in 1978, Peter established Stutchbury Architects in 1981 and this practice has now expanded to become Stutchbury and Pape, of which Peter is a Principal. Peter's reputation has spread internationally and he has worked and exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas.

In 2003 Peter Stutchbury was the first architect to be awarded both of the premier National Architecture Awards from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in the same year - the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Design and the Sir Zelman Cowan Award for Public Buildings (in association with Richard Leplastrier and Sue Harper). The Sir Zelman Cowan Award was presented for the design of the Birabahn Indigenous Centre at the University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus.

The awards, along with the 2005 Annual Student Acquisitive Art Prize, will be presented at a cocktail reception held in conjunction with the UoN Services Limited on Wednesday, 7 September 2005 from 6pm - 8pm at University House, cnr King and Auckland Street, Newcastle. Media are invited to attend. For information please contact Kylie Ebert on (02) 4921 6492.

For interviews: Samantha Martin on (02) 4921 7009 or Peter Stutchbury on (02) 9979 5030.