UC Graduations
Student Centre, Building 1
Monday to Friday, 10am - 4pm
Student.Centre@canberra.edu.au
1300 301 727
September 2022
It is customary for recipients of Honorary Doctorates to give the Occasional Address at each graduation ceremony. Sharing their experience and insights to help prepare students for professional life.
Below are a copies of some of their inspirational speeches that have been delivered at previous graduation ceremonies.
Professor Richard (Dick)Telford AM PhD FACSM FSMA | Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health (Nursing & Midwifery) Ceremony
Professorial Fellow (UC Research Institute for Sport and Exercise), Senior Australia of the Year recipient 2017, Former Australian Rules footballer
Past addresses
Adjunct Professor Trish Bergin | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Chair of the Women’s Legal Centre, ACT and Regions and Former Co-Director, Governance - 50/50 by 2030 Foundation
Adjunct Professor Robin Eckermann AM | Faculty of Science and Technology Ceremony
Former Chief Architect of TransACT Communications
Dr Paresh Dawda | Faculty of Health Ceremony
General Practitioner, Next Practice Health
Betty Kitchener AM | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Australian Mental Health Educator and Founder of Mental Health First Aid
Dr Caroline Hughes | Faculty of Education Ceremony
Ngunnawal Elder and Executive Director Collections Services Group, AIATSIS
Rachael Clark | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Solicitor/Program Manager, Dhurrawang Aboriginal Human Rights Program, Canberra Community Law
Dr Bobby Cerini | Faculty of Science and Technology Ceremony
Director of Science and Learning, Questacon
Natalie Howson | Faculty of Education Ceremony
Chair - Board of Teacher Quality Institute, Former Director General, ACT Education Directorate
Prof Nick Coatsworth | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Executive Director Medical Services, Canberra Health Services, ACT Government
Dr David Hughes | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Chief Medical Officer, Australian Institute for Sport
Shane Drumgold SC | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Director of Public Prosecutions, ACT Government
Cath Ingram | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
ACT Chair and Lead Partner, Federal Government, KPMG Australia
Danielle Harmer | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
General Manager – Allhomes
Dr Maxine Cooper | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Adjunct Professor, Design and the Built Environment, Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra
Katherine Murphy | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Political Editor and Canberra Bureau Chief of The Guardian Australia
Barnie Van Wyk | Faculty of Education Ceremony
Chief Executive Officer St Vincent de Paul Society – Canberra/Goulburn
Cindy Mitchell | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Chief Executive Officer, The Mill House Social Enterprise Accelerator
Pierre Johannessen | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Partner, Johannessen Legal
Professor Vicki Flood | Faculty of Health Ceremony
BAppSc, GradDipNutr&Diet, MPH, PhD, APD
Matthew Brown | Faculty of Education Ceremony
R/Executive Director, School Performance
Michael Socolow | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
2019 Fullbright Scholar, UMaine
Meredith Edwards | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Peter Alexander | Faculty of Business Government and Law, Faculty of Science and Technology Ceremony
Australian Government Chief Digital Officer, Digital Transformation Agency
Betty Kitchener | CCAE 50 Years Celebration
Bill Maiden | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony, Faculty of Education Ceremony
Lt Col Jo-Anne Ikin | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Acting Director Defence Force Nursing (A/DDFN)
Richard Potok | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Founder and CEO of the Aurora Project and the Aurora Education Foundation
John Faulks | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Dr Helen Watchirs OAM | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
ACT Human Rights Commissioner
Heather Reid | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Melanie Fisher | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Deputy CEO and GM, Food Standards Australian New Zealand
Robin Eckerman | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra
Lana Read | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Principal, UC High School Kaleen
Dan Bourchier | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Journalist and host, ABC Canberra
Shane Breynard | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Director, ACT Museums & Galleries
Mark Duggan | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Manager Medical Imaging, Canberra Hospital and Health Services
Mèdy Hassan | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Managing Director, Haus Holdings
Renèe Leon PSM | Faculty of Business Government and Law and Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis Ceremony
Secretary, Department of Employment
Glen Brennan | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Head of Indigenous Business Development, National Australia Bank
Fiona Godfrey | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Principal, Radford College
Samia Goudie | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics and Faculty of Health Ceremony
Senior Lecturer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, ANU
John Body | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Founding Partner, ThinkPlace
Professor Stephen Parker AO | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Vice-Chancellor, University of Canberra
Professor Stephen Parker AO | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
| Vice-Chancellor & President, University of Canberra |
Dr Dawn Casey | Faculty of Arts and Design and Faculty of Health Ceremony
Chairperson, Indigenous Land Corporation
Craig Sloan | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
Partner, KPMG Canberra
John Boersig | Faculty of Business Government and Law Ceremony
CEO Legal Aid
Francis Sullivan | Faculty of Business Government and Law, Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis and Faculty of Health Ceremony
CEO of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council
Katy Gallagher | Faculty of Health Ceremony
Former Chief Minister of the ACT
Professor Will Steffen | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Executive Director, ANU Climate Change Institute
Dr Justin Garrick | Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics Ceremony
Head of School, Canberra Grammar School
Chris Latham | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Artistic Director, Illumina: Remembering the Lost Voices of World War 1, Gallipoli Symphony, Voices in the Forest
Christopher Doyle | Faculty of Arts and Design Ceremony
Director, Christopher Doyle & Co
