Outstanding Alumni Award 2007–
Dr Craig Hansen BSc(PubHlth) 2002, BSc(Hons) 2003, PhD 2007
The recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award 2007 is Dr Craig Hansen, announced at the Foundation’s ‘Building Excellence’ event on 10 December. Now in its third year, Craig received the award in recognition of his doctoral and postdoctoral research in epidemiology—the study of diseases in populations.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Public Health) in 2002, Craig did a year of honours research followed by three years of doctoral research investigating how air pollution during pregnancy affects a baby’s growth; using a cohort of 30,000 pregnancies in Brisbane.
After completing his doctorate, Craig was offered a postdoctoral fellowship at the School of Medicine, University of Queensland. He was involved in a study that investigated cardiovascular disease among residents in the South African township of Soweto. He travelled there several times and worked at the largest training hospital in the world, being the only hospital servicing the 2-3 million residents of Soweto.
“This was certainly a great experience and something I will never forget,” Craig says.
Craig’s latest achievement was to compete successfully for a postdoctoral research position at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), based at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina; one of the largest and oldest research and science parks in North America.
“Starting mid-December, my role at USEPA will be to evaluate national and international air pollution studies and thus impact international policy in this area. I will also be continuing my own research investigating birth defects among a cohort of 150,000 births from Brisbane.”
“Thank you very much for this award, I am very honoured. USC has been a large part of my life. It has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally and has certainly helped me get to where I am today,” Craig says.
Brisbane alumni event
Alumni based in Brisbane attended a USC alumni event in early September at Vino’s Bar and Restaurant, Eagle Street Pier. They enjoyed getting to know fellow Brisbane alumni, reminiscing about their USC days and catching up on University news and initiatives.
We would like to do another event in Brisbane next year and welcome your input and assistance in planning the function.
Career Skills Workshop—‘Winning that job’
A career skills workshop for USC alumni was held on campus at the end of September. Key employability skills covered included resume writing, addressing selection criteria and interview techniques. Attendees rated the presenters and content four or five out of five.
Most popular were presentations from industry employers—Juniper Development Group, Matthew Flinders Anglican College, Hyatt Regency Coolum and Department of Natural Resources and Water—regarding tips on ‘winning that job’. If you would like assistance with your career development, please contact USC's careerconnection.
Design alumni reunion
The first-ever reunion for all Design graduates—BA(CBAD), BA(Des&Mkg) and BA(Des&Comm)—was held in November to coincide with the opening of the ‘DRUM’ exhibition at the Art Gallery. (DRUM was this year’s showcase of final-year design student portfolios). Many lecturers attended along with Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Associate Professor Pam Dyer.
Neisha Phillips, BA(Des&Mkg) 2005, addressed the crowd urging graduates to take an active role as alumni. “Being part of the USC alumni is a great way to keep in touch with all your old classmates. It’s also a great networking tool for future business,” she said.
Fiji alumni reunion
The inaugural Fijian alumni reunion—MMgt, GCMgt, GDipMgt, GCHRM—was held in November. Alumni had the opportunity to dine with Chancellor John Dobson OAM and Dean of Faculty of Business Professor Ed Fitzgerald as part of their visit to Fiji for the Graduation ceremony.
Many found it a rewarding and enriching experience that they would like to continue. Paula Uluinakauvadra, GCMgt 2007, commented, “The Fijian alumni event last night was awesome. I enjoyed every minute meeting old friends and making new ones.”
Malaysian alumni reunion
Over 65 graduates attended the inaugural alumni reunion in Malaysia—MBA, MFinPlan—during Chancellor John Dobson’s OAM recent visit to Kuala Lumpur for the Graduation Ceremony.
As with our Fijian alumni, the majority have not been to USC before and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to dine with the Chancellor and other Faculty of Business staff. Many are keen to keep in touch with each other and hold future alumni events.
Alumni Connect—where are they now?
Nikole Jacobi, BA(Comn) 2006
After finishing her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Journalism, Nikole successfully applied for a broadcast journalist position with ABC Coast FM, having completed an internship there as part of her studies. Her job entails all facets of broadcast journalism, including sourcing and writing news stories, conducting interviews, using audio equipment and reading live news bulletins. “I love working for ABC Coast FM because I have the opportunity to communicate all sides of the issues that matter most here on the Sunshine Coast,” Nikole says.
Emily Orchard, BSc 2002
Emily works as a Senior Forensic Technician for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM). “My main duties include assisting pathologists in the autopsy procedure. I also reconstruct deceased persons post autopsy, retrieve donated tissue for transplantation and assist during investigations requiring ‘disaster victim identification’ protocol”. Emily was also chosen as part of an international deployment to East Timor to assist the Australian Federal Police in the investigation of criminal cases. “Although it may be perceived by some as being a rather confronting job, it is in fact very rewarding,” Emily says.
Andrew Savage, BBus(Acc) 2002
Andrew has worked as a tax accountant on the Sunshine Coast and as CEO of a remote aboriginal community in South East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. He also completed a postgraduate accounting diploma with the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is now a qualified Chartered Accountant. Soon to be appointed a partner of a Noosa Heads chartered accounting practice, Andrew says, “I have fond memories of my three years at USC. My career options and financial future have dramatically improved since completing my degree. It was one of the smartest things I've done”.
Tammy Mullan, BBus(Mgt) 2007
In November 2006, Tammy was one of 47 successful applicants from over 1,000 for the Centrelink National Graduate Program 2007 intake. Based in Canberra, Tammy has been working in the Fraud Management Branch as a Project Officer and Fraud Analyst. Her role includes applying research and intelligence analysis skills to make recommendations to Fraud Investigators. “My studies at USC have been instrumental in not only securing this dream role, but being able to apply theoretical knowledge and skills on a practical day to day basis,” Tammy says.
What have you been doing since leaving USC?
We are always interested to hear what our graduates have been up to, so please send your story to Alumni Relations. Also, please let us know if you would like us to forward your news to any particular lecturers or tutors.
Stay connected
As a member of our alumni, the University encourages you to stay in touch. To inform us of a change in your address or job, please let us know by either emailing Alumni Relations or completing the Stay Connected form.
The University profiles alumni members in USC publications and on the USC website throughout the year, so please let us know of your successes and achievements. We look forward to hearing from you.
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