Sustainable beauty innovators and blood donation champions among students recognised at Employability Excellence Awards

_{The group of 2025 Employability Excellence Awards student winners and highly commended.}

Celebrating the achievements of seven students, along with invaluable staff and industry partners, the awards highlighted the transformative impact of Career-ready Placements, extracurricular activities and innovative teaching.

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alex Zelinsky, says the awards reflect the University’s commitment to producing life-ready graduates who can make an impact from day one.

“These students are already at the forefront of innovation and creativity in their respective fields. Our University is proud to offer a wide range of opportunities that enable students to develop their employability skills and gain professional experience, such as Career-Ready Placements,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“The awards recognise students who’ve not only demonstrated leadership, but also the curiosity and courage to turn their ideas into meaningful action, with over 90 students nominated this year,” Professor Zelinsky said.

The awards also acknowledge the crucial role of staff and employers in creating valuable placement opportunities. Eight organisations have been inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame for their ongoing support and collaboration.

Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Belinda Tynan, said industry partners play an essential role in shaping future-ready graduates.

“Our programs are designed in partnership with employers to ensure our graduates have the skills and mindset to thrive in an evolving workforce,” Professor Tynan said.

The University’s strong focus on employability will continue into 2026, with more than 14,000 students completing an industry placement in the past 12 months.

Student Entrepreneur of the Year – Claudia Bruinsma 

PhD candidate in Biological Sciences Claudia Bruinsma has been named Student Entrepreneur of the Year for her pioneering work in sustainable biotechnology.

While studying her PhD, Claudia founded Zyora, a startup turning brewery and biotech by-products into skincare.

Inspired by a desire to rethink how society uses waste and resources, Claudia has built on her previous venture experience, where she attracted support from the CSIRO, Federal Government, and the University’s Integrated Innovation Network (I2N) Accelerator program.

“The impact I'm hoping to create with Zyora is getting rid of one of our major waste streams. Breweries and wineries create hundreds of thousands of tonnes of bio waste every year, we’re using that to create everyday products.”

“We're enabling that circular economy in an industry where that probably wasn't thought about. As a scientist, you don't think you're going to be winning entrepreneur awards. I'm grateful I can take this and show people that the pathway to commercialisation is a real one, and not a scary one,” Claudia said.

Student Employability Achievement Award – Joseph Hill

Data science and mathematics student Joseph Hill has received an Employability Achievement Award for his commitment to tackling pressing societal challenges through community action and research.

Joseph founded NuBlood, a student-led club promoting and facilitating regular blood donations.

“I always saw there was a deficit in blood donation and felt like there are so many people that would just donate if it was organised for them,” Joseph said.

“NuBlood acts as a simple and accessible way to do blood donation and get more students involved in a community service.”

He has also helped develop a research proposal, analysing the sustainability of the Age Pension amid rising rental costs, using advanced statistical modelling, which could potentially be used to inform national policy outcomes.

Student Career-ready Placement Award – Joe Alcorn

Joe Alcorn secured a placement opportunity with Dantia, Lake Macquarie’s leading economic development company, through Newcastle Business School. Through his placement, Joe led one of Dantia’s key operational plan actions, to strengthen Lake Macquarie’s identity as a place for investment. Drawing on extensive economic and social data, Joe developed a clear narrative showcasing why businesses should invest in four key suburbs across the region.

Transforming complex data into compelling content, Joe has created case studies and video scripts tailored to potential investors. His work is now featured on Dantia’s website, supporting the organisation’s mission to attract and retain business in the Lake Macquarie area.

See the full list of winners and find out more about the awards here.

_{Employability Excellence Awards Staff winners}