Congratulations to our Port Macquarie graduates
The University of Newcastle’s (UON) annual Port Macquarie graduation ceremony will feature PhD students for the first time this year.
Graduating PhD students Dr Lyn Bowen and Dr Lyn Francis have been commited to their research to find solutions to key issues impacting their local communities.
With a focus on providing support for undergraduate nurses, Dr Bowen’s PhD thesis studied the role of registered nurses in mentoring undergraduate students in regional areas. Her research explored better ways registered nurses can provide support to produce more competent and skilled nursing graduates for the local area.
Dr Francis’s PhD explored the experience of women leaving or ending domestic violence and the social support they received during the initial period. She discovered there were some major gaps in the support services women were provided and her research focused on ways to better empower services to provide the support needed for women in the local community.
The 2016 graduation ceremony will host two PhD students, six Postgraduate students, 79 Undergraduate students, one posthumous undergraduate and five Open Foundation pathway students.
UON Vice-Chancellor, Professor Caroline McMillen, congratulated all 93 graduates, acknowledging their hard work and dedication.
“For our graduating students, this ceremony represents both the culmination of years of hard work and the commencement of an exciting new future. This year we are also delighted to be graduating our first cohort of PhD students, whose research efforts will have direct impact in the region.”
"Importantly, our exceptional graduates typically go on to work in the local health and education services, enabling them to stay within the region and meet the workforce needs of the Mid North Coast,” Professor McMillen said.
Since UON Port Macquarie's establishment in 2004, more than 282 nurses, 191 primary school teachers and 14 midwifery students have completed their programs, through the multi-sector campus with TAFE NSW - North Coast Institute, accessing first-rate tertiary education in their region.
The majority of UON graduates have secured professional roles within Mid North Coast hospitals and schools, helping to meet the growing need for qualified professionals in the local workforce.
This year, UON Port Macquarie will welcome 116 new students to the campus - 16 midwifery students, 72 nursing students and 28 teaching students. TAFE also offers a range of Advanced Diplomas, Diplomas and Certificates that provide pathways to tertiary study.
The graduation will take place from 1pm Friday 19 February at the Glasshouse, corner of Clarence and Hay Streets, Port Macquarie.
Related news
- From the Classroom to the Operating Room: Emily Mason’s Journey as an Indigenous Female Surgeon
- Partnering to prevent local extinction of threatened marsupial
- Launch of the School Students’ Statement on the Right to a Healthy Environment
- Funding boost to technology for lower emission steel
- Newcastle team on mission to improve childhood cancer outcomes
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.