¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ

University of Queensland's Great Court
Members of the ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ community have been recognised in the Australia Day honours
26 January 2025

Critical care researcher Professor John Fraser and former Alumni Friends president Dr Catherine Lawrence are among members of ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ community recognised in today’s Australia Day honours.

¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ graduate and Indigenous rights advocate Professor Megan Davis is one of only six Australians to receive the nation’s highest civil honour – the Companion of the Order of Australia.

Honorary ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ academics in law, dentistry and health and rehabilitation sciences, as well as a respected ethnobotanist, are among other alumni, researchers and members of our broader community recognised this year for their significant contributions to society.

Key points:

  • 457 Australians have received awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia
  • Six of those received the highest honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia – including two from the ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ community
  • 24 Australians were this year recognised for their contribution in support of the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
     

Professor John Fraser, AO

, from ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service to medicine as an intensive care physician and surgeon, and to global critical care research.

Professor Fraser received his PhD from ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ in 2010 and is the Director of Intensive Care Unit at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane and Chief Medical Officer at De Motu Cordis.

He also founded the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) two decades ago.

With a global network spanning more than 60 countries, CCRG is a world leader in developing technologies and interventions to improve outcomes for critically ill patients – encompassing clinical, pre-clinical and engineering research.

The group is based at Australia’s largest cardiac hospital, The Prince Charles Hospital, and investigates better ways to support patients with heart and lung failure.

His work includes refining a method of keeping a heart “alive” outside the body for 12 hours - increasing the availability of donors’ hearts, a revolutionary practice that has helped people around the world.

“I am equal parts humbled and honoured to receive this huge accolade from my adoptive homeland of Australia,” Professor Fraser said.

“It represents not just my efforts, but the efforts of my many mentors, collaborators and team members I have had the good fortune to work with and learn from.

“None of it would have been possible without the guidance of my parents nor the love and support of my 5 wonderful kids.”
 

Professor Megan Davis, AC

Indigenous rights advocate, leader and academic , a Cobble Cobble Woman from South-West Queensland, graduated from ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ in 1999 with a Bachelor of Laws. She later completed a doctorate in Philosophy and was awarded an honorary doctorate of Laws.

She was the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to a UN body and played an instrumental role in establishment the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Professor Davis continues to work towards meaningful constitutional recognition.

“I am honoured by this recognition,” she said.

“In more than 25 years working with the United Nations, including 12 years as a global UN Indigenous rights expert, I have contributed to critical work such as drafting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and advancing its implementation in New York and Geneva.

“In parallel, I have dedicated more than 12 years to advocating for constitutional recognition in Australia, recognising it as a unique and untried approach that sets our nation apart on the global stage.”
 

Dr Catherine Lawrence, OAM

has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her extensive service to higher education.

Dr Lawrence was the first person in her family to gain a tertiary education after being awarded a scholarship to the University of Sheffield, and on migrating to Australia in 2004, she returned to study at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ.

In addition to graduating from a Master of Arts (2007), her subsequent PhD examined the impact of work-like volunteering in local communities across Queensland.

She joined the leadership team of ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ’s in 2015 and served as President from 2017-2023, including three years as the inaugural President of the newly created ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ Giving Society.

During Dr Lawrence’s time volunteering with Alumni Friends, the organisation’s donations to ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ grew from the equivalent of $8.5m to more than $14m.

In recent years, much of the money raised has gone towards establishing endowed scholarships for incoming students, providing them with the same opportunity she once had.

“I think for me, it is humbling,” she said of the accolade.

“I see this as recognition for Alumni Friends, for my friends and colleagues, and for the University itself. It is great to see the work of volunteers recognised in this way.

“There’s a lot of people out there who think, I can’t make a difference, I’m not a philanthropist.

“If everybody volunteers a little time, buys some books at the , or perhaps donates a few dollars as an Alumni Friends’ member, then together we can really make a difference to the lives of future students.”

Dr Lawrence has also served as a member of the ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ Senate and is a current member of the ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ Senate Advancement and Community Engagement Committee.

”So many people know the impact tertiary education can have on their own families, and it is great that ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ’s is focusing on enabling students from across the state to study at ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ," she said.
 

Members of the ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ community recognised are:

(please note this list will be updated)

  • ¿ì²¥É«ÇéƬ alum Scientia Professor Megan Jane Davis has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for her eminent service to the law and social justice, to the national and international advocacy of the rights of Indigenous peoples and to the community.
  • The Honourable James Joshua Edelman has been appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his eminent service to the law and to the judiciary, to legal education and scholarship, as a mentor to academics and legal practitioners in Australia and internationally and to the community.
  • Professor John Francis Fraser has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his distinguished service to medicine as an intensive care physician and surgeon and to global and critical care research.
  • Dr Alexander John Moule has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to dentistry as a clinician and academic and to professional associations.
  • Professor Kim Bennell has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant service to medical research and education, particularly in the field of health and rehabilitation science.
  • Dr Catherine Anne Lawrence has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to tertiary education.
  • Mr Gerald Paul Turpin has been awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service to Ethnobotany and championing Indigenous science and research.

(Image bottom left: Professor Megan Davis. Credit: Andrzej Liguz.)
 


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