Celebrating 50 years of UON graduates

Wednesday, 8 April 2015

More than 4,600 students graduating at the University of Newcastle's (UON) April ceremonies this week will celebrate significant individual achievements as well as mark a historic year as the University celebrates 50 years of delivering equity and excellence.

Grad parade

Ceremonies will be staged in the Great Hall on the Callaghan campus on April 9, 10, 11 and 17. The April 16 ceremonies will take place in Newcastle's Civic Theatre accompanied by a graduation parade through the city, ensuring our community can celebrate with the University's newest graduates, their friends and families and University staff. 

UON Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen, said sharing the graduation ceremonies and a parade in the CBD with the community acknowledged the University's relationship with the city and people of Newcastle, and its lasting commitment to the Hunter region.

"Our students and community are at the heart of the UON story. This year's graduations celebrate 50 years of achievement by our students past and present, and 50 years of community support that has shaped our University's history, as well as the remarkable impact our staff, researchers and alumni have made on the region and the world.  

"We invite the community to join us for this special occasion to celebrate half a century of delivering the highest quality education, research and innovation, and to look forward to building the next 50 years," Professor McMillen said.   

The April 16 graduation parade will be held during lunchtime from Honeysuckle Way to Merewether Street, through to Hunter and Auckland Streets and finishing at the steps of the Civic Theatre in Wheeler Place.

The parade will have a festive atmosphere with bagpipers leading the way. The streets will be lined with graduands' families and friends, the community, university staff, students and alumni. Wheeler Place will have activities from refreshment stands, music and information booths.

UON has grown from modest beginnings in 1965, when just 1,700 students were taught by 140 academic staff. Today, UON is a global institution enrolling 40,000 students on campuses across NSW and in Singapore, and employing 2,500 staff including world-leading researchers who are in the top one per cent in their field globally. 

Students graduating at the April graduation ceremonies will join the University's remarkable alumni network that includes 125,000 people across more than 120 countries.

Special guests at this year's graduations include broadcaster and social commentator Phillip Adams AO, who will be Occasional Speaker at a ceremony on April 10, while honorary degrees will be presented to Dr John Blakemore (Doctor of the University honoris causa), and Tan Sri Datuk Mohd Razali Abdul Rahman (Doctor of Letters honoris causa).

In addition to being a recipient of the International Nickel Fellowship, Dr Blakemore was recognised by the Australian Institution of Engineers as being amongst the top 10 Engineers in Australia for Engineering expertise for his contributions to re-engineering businesses and the development and commercialisation of new products and processes.

Tan Sri Rahman has received several awards from the Malaysian Government and the Malaysian Royal Family for his services to business and government, resulting in the honorific titles of Datuk and Tan Sri. He is also a Patron of the University of Newcastle Alumni Malaysian Chapter.

Graduation ceremonies

Thursday 9 April

10am: FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Occasional speaker: Dr John Blakemore (Honorary Degree)

Graduate speaker: Samuel Buttenshaw

2pm: FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Occasional speaker: Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte

Graduate speaker: Nadine Roberts

6pm: FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Occasional speaker: Dr Megan Clark

Graduate speaker: Bede Moses

Friday 10 April 

10am: FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND ARTS

Occasional speaker: Mr Phillip Adams AO

Graduate speaker: Zoe Baeten

2pm: FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND ARTS

Occasional speaker: Professor Greg Leigh AO

Graduate speaker: Emily Graham

6pm: FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND ARTS

Occasional speaker: Mr Michael Kieran Harvey

Graduate speaker: Shaylee Hilton

Saturday 11 April 

10am: SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Occasional speaker: Dr Susannah Elliot

Graduate speaker: Kaitlin Fitzgerald 

2pm: BUSINESS AND LAW

Occasional speaker: Tan Sri Datuk Mohd Razali Abdul Rahman (Honorary Degree)

Graduate speaker: Laura Bereicua

6pm: BUSINESS AND LAW

Occasional speaker: Mr Kyle Loades

Graduate speaker: Marguerite Hook

Thursday 16 April 

10am: ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND FOUNDATION STUDIES CENTRE (ELFSC)

Occasional speaker: Professor Penny Jane Burke

Graduate speakers: Yapug – Jordi Nordsvan (ELFSC), Branagh Hendepr (Newstep) and Rachael Jeffree (Open Foundation)

1pm: Hunter Street Graduation Parade 

2.30pm: FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Occasional speaker: Professor Warwick Anderson AM

Graduate speaker: Lee Dedman

6pm: FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND LAW

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND ARTS

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Occasional speaker: The Honorable Geoff Bentley

Graduate speaker: Kynan Cliff 

Friday 17 April 

10am: FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Occasional speaker: Emeritus Professor Maree Gleeson OAM

Graduate speaker: Benjamin Walkling 

2pm: FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Occasional speaker: Emeritus Professor Margaret McMillan OAM

Graduate speaker: Kimberly Morris

6pm: FACULTY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Occasional speaker: Professor Tomas Krom OAM

Graduate speaker: Jocelle Cardona

Contact

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  • Phone: 02 4921 5577.

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