Semester two graduation ceremonies for University of Newcastle students will be held on Thursday 9 October and Friday 10 October, in the Great Hall, Newcastle campus (at Callaghan).
A total of 1,242 students are eligible to graduate.

Graduation details
Thursday 9 October
10am - Faculty of Business and Law
Occasional Address will be by Professor Zhao Shuming. Professor Zhao is a widely acclaimed author and Dean of the School of Business at Nanjing University in China. He specialises in human resource management and was one of the first scholars to introduce western human resource management theory to China. Professor Zhao was named the best administrator and professor of the year by Nanjing University in 2003 and outstanding professor by Jiangsu Provincial Government in 2006. Professor Zhao has also been named one of the ten most influential management leaders in China for three years since 2004 by World Executives Week and People.com.

2pm - Faculty of Health
Occasional Address will be by Ms Carol Penning. Ms Penning is the Director of Residential Care Services for UnitingCare Ageing, the largest provider of aged care services in our region. She specialises in person-centred care, balancing physical and clinical needs with emotional, psychological and spiritual needs. Ms Penning is an active researcher on issues affecting older people. She is a team leader in the University of Newcastle's Priority Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing.

Friday 10 October
10am - Faculty of Science and Information; Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Occasional Address will be by Laureate Professor Graham Goodwin. Professor Goodwin's research in the field of electrical engineering has earned him worldwide recognition. He is the Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Newcastle and the Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Complex Dynamic Systems and Control. Professor Goodwin is also a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Members of the Academy are responsible for awarding the Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry each year.

2pm - Faculty of Education and Arts
Occasional Address will be by Dr Philip Matthias. Dr Matthias is a Senior Lecturer and Organist at the University of Newcastle. He has also been the conductor of the highly successful University of Newcastle Chamber Choir since 1995. During that time Dr Matthias has seen the choir grow from a small elective student class to a group of some 40 singers. Under his leadership, the Choir has conducted four overseas tours and it recently took first place in Channel 7's national Battle of the Choirs competition. The award-winning choir will sing two items during the ceremony.

Graduation highlights
University nurses student through
It was a change of career that led rail transport worker Elizabeth Bembridge to enrol in a Bachelor of Nursing program at the University of Newcastle. The 34 year-old will speak on behalf of her fellow students when she graduates on Thursday 9 October at 2pm. Elizabeth is now enrolled in an honours program investigating the information and communication technology skills regional nursing graduates need to have in the workplace.

Mother daughter tag-team through degrees
At the age of 60, Carmel Toohey deserved nothing more than to sit back and relax after juggling life as a working mother raising five children. Instead she embarked on a new challenge by joining her daughter Veronica at university by enrolling in Open Foundation. Following an interest in what other cultures had to offer the world, Carmel, now 67, will graduate with a Bachelor of Social Science degree.

Following in her mother's footsteps, Veronica, 34, is herself a working mother with four children while studying fulltime. She will add to her previously attained Master of Special Education by receiving a Master of Educational Studies. Mother and daughter considered themselves lucky to be able to call on each other for regular guidance and support throughout their studies. Carmel and Veronica will receive their degrees on Friday 10 October at 2pm.