Community and Alumni

“When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to be the recipient of some incredible scholarships which positively shaped my upbringing and education.”Dylan Alcott AO

Across the University, our community is united by a desire to make the world a better place. The Staff Donor Collective is one area creating ripples of positive change through regular payroll donations.

University of Newcastle secures top spots in global rankings

Nik Ynez is the 2023 recipient of the Patricia Jensen Arts Scholarship, established from the estate of Patricia Jensen (nee Smith) to honour her love of literature and the arts. Thanks to ongoing support from a generous donor, the scholarship continues to encourage students to achieve their dreams through education.

How Indigenous games are improving children’s cultural understanding, health and wellbeing, and learning in schools. Ready for a game of Gorri, Buroinjin, Kabi or Puldjungi? Children in the Awabakal and Worimi regions of the Hunter will soon be able to teach you how to play, thanks to an exciting new school-based education program generously supported by Port Waratah Coal Services.

Zarah Anderson was entering her final year of a Bachelor of Science (Advanced), majoring in medicinal and organic chemistry, when the stress of studying full-time and working to support herself caught up. Receiving the Will O’Reilly OAM Shaping Futures Scholarship for Women in Science gave Zarah invaluable breathing space to consider her career options and prepare for graduate interviews that would ultimately land her a dream job.

Born from incredible loss, a special friendship between Dubbo farmer Brian Schloeffel and Professor Pradeep Tanwar is helping to spread awareness about ovarian cancer and the potentially life-changing early detection test that researchers at the University of Newcastle’s Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases are developing.

Every year more than 4,500 University of Newcastle graduates walk proudly across the stage of the Great Hall to receive their degrees. The most recent ceremonies marked 50 years since an astonishing community-led fundraising effort made its construction possible.

Everybody has different reasons for leaving a gift in their Will. Frances Doherty is proud to honour her father, Jack Doherty, whose activism to bring change for Indigenous students had an indelible impact on the University’s history.

A new program to equip women from migrant and refugee backgrounds with skills in construction is set to build more than just new homes, thanks to generous support from the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.

The search for the perfect diet to manage Crohn's disease symptoms and prevent disease progression has been on for decades. University of Newcastle PhD candidate Cheenie Nieva is investigating how eliminating specific food triggers may improve quality-of-life for millions of people living with the disease worldwide thanks to the generous support of alumni Merv and Judy Lindsay.

Hundreds of students, staff and community members will gather in the University of Newcastle’s Great Hall today to officially welcome the institution’s eighth chancellor, the Honourable Patricia Forsythe AM.