Good afternoon everyone, please join me
in thanking the University organist Annette Goerke.
Welcome - kaya - my name is Professor Cara MacNish and I'm the Chair of the Academic
Board, the peak academic body of the
University, and I'm here to tell you a
little about the graduation ceremony, its
history, the people involved, and how this
afternoon's events will proceed. Before
proceedings commence, could I please
request that your mobile telephones are
turned down or off, and advise that
should an emergency occur in the venue
we will take our lead from the theatre
staff. On behalf of all my University
colleagues, I'm delighted to welcome you
to this afternoon's graduation ceremony.
To begin I'd like to acknowledge that
our ceremony this afternoon takes place
on Wadjuk Budja, the country of the Noongar
people, and pay my respects to
Noongar elders past, present and
emerging, as custodians of the historic
place on which we meet. Today's
graduation ceremony is also a traditional
celebration of the University. UWA takes
great pride in its history, having
enrolled its first students over a
hundred years ago.
However our roots are deeply embedded in
the academic values and traditions that
for many centuries have given rise to
the world's finest universities. The
traditional nature of our graduation
ceremony serves to highlight this
enduring connection with our heritage, as
has been the case in universities across
the globe and throughout the centuries.
The ceremony will begin with the arrival
of the academic procession. This
procession comprises graduates, scholars,
academics, and office bearers of the
University, attired in their formal
academic regalia. UWA is very much an
international institution and our
academic staff come from universities
from a wide variety of countries and
cultures. So in this afternoon's
procession, you will see a
varied and often colourful array of
regalia from around the world. The
procession will be led by graduating
students, followed by academic staff in
order of seniority. At the end of the
procession will come the principal
officers of the University, members of
the University's governing body the Senate, and our distinguished guests. The final
figure in the procession will be the
Chancellor of the University,
the Honorable Robert French AC, who is
immediately preceded by the mace bearer.
The mace will be carried by a current
student and is a symbolic
representation of the authority invested
in the Chancellor, who is the chair of
the University Senate. After the National
Anthem, the Chancellor will formally
welcome all graduates and guests and
guide us through the ceremony. There will
be a short musical interlude during the
ceremony, performed by students from the
UWA School of Music. You will I believe
find much to interest you during this
afternoon's proceedings, but of course
the main reason you have come is to
witness the graduation of our scholars, and I hope
you will all join with my colleagues and
me in warmly congratulating each
graduate who comes on to the stage to
have his or her degree conferred. And
while it is an historic setting, it is
also a celebration and I invite you to
express your enthusiasm wholeheartedly
as our graduates are awarded their
degrees. And a little secret, a bit of
whistling or hooting is fine too.
There will be a professional video and
photographs of the ceremony, and
professional photographers waiting
downstairs.
But please do feel free to stand where
you are to capture your own images of
the moment . Now would you please all rise to your feet so that the arrival of the
academic procession can commence.
Thank you.
[Academic procession enters]
[Organ plays]
Please be seated ladies and gentlemen.
Members of the University, Senate,
distinguished guests, graduands, ladies
and gentlemen, it's a pleasure to welcome
you to our eleventh autumn graduation
ceremony. I particularly want to
acknowledge the presence at the ceremony
of Ms Fadzi Whande who will deliver the
graduation address, Ms Jessica Moran
who will deliver the valedictory address,
the Warden of Convocation Dr Doug McGhie,
members of the Senate, Emeritus Professor Lynette Abbott, Emeritus Professor Craig
Atkins, and former Chancellor's Medal recipient Ms Annette Goerke.
The University of Western Australia
in accordance with its tradition
acknowledges the custodians and
traditional owners of the land on which
any of its campuses are located. At the
main campus Crawley, the university
acknowledges the Wadjuk Noongar
people as the traditional owners of the
land on which it is situated. The Wadjuk
Noongar remain the spiritual and
cultural custodians of their land, and
continue to practice their values,
languages, belief and knowledge today.
Ladies and gentlemen we share in a
ceremony which is deeply rooted in the
history and tradition of universities in
this country, and around the world.
It marks the formal recognition by the
University of the achievements of its
graduates in meeting the standards and
requirements of the various courses of
study and research, which they have
undertaken over a number of years. The
ceremony joins them with members of the
academic staff who have taught them or
supervised their work, and with
representatives of the Convocation of
the University, which is part of the
University, and which as graduates they
join. The ceremony also brings the
graduates together with parents, friends
and other relatives, who have supported
them in their work, and share intimately
in their achievements, and who are
particularly welcome here today. This
University has a long history of
achievement and excellence in teaching
and research and engagement with the
wider community
for the benefit of the state, the nation,
and indeed the global community, of which
we are all a part. It was established in
the words of the University of Western
Australia Act 1911 'to advance the
prosperity and welfare of the people.' It
was the product of the vision and energy
and commitment of extraordinary
individuals who founded it, and who were
its benefactors. Its achievements are the
achievements of people. Those who teach
and research here. Those who govern and
administer the university and the alumni
who go from this place to make their
contributions in a myriad of different
ways. So it's not just a degree with
which you leave this place. It is a
degree from the University of Western
Australia, which is one of Australia's
leading universities and according to
international rankings, one of the
world's leading universities. Each of you
who graduate here today will be
presented with a new message stick,
carrying with it the story of this place.
According to Indigenous beliefs, tribal
boundaries were established by the great
spirits of the Dreamtime. No human had
the right to interfere with those
boundaries or to venture onto others'
tribal lands. However the bearer of a
message stick could cross those
boundaries. They were traditional
passports from one nation to another in
Indigenous Australia, seen as carrying
the stories of Indigenous people across
the land. So in a symbolic way we entrust
the story of this place to you, to carry
it into the world. The gift symbolises a
permanent connection expressed in the
timeless language of the Noongar people.
For all of you, I express the hope that
the knowledge and skills you have
acquired at this University, will enable
you to follow the lifelong path
reflected in its motto to seek wisdom,
and to apply it for the good of all.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's now my
pleasure to invite the deputy
Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor
David Sadler to give a brief opening
address to today's graduates, and their
guests.
Excuse me while I put my glasses on.
Chancellor, graduates,
parents, partner,s and friends of the
University. Congratulations, it is my
privilege to congratulate you on behalf
of the University of Western Australia.
Today's ceremony is an opportunity for
all of us, graduating students, parents,
friends, and staff, to formally recognise
and celebrate your outstanding
achievement in graduating from UWA. As
you probably are feeling just at the
moment, graduation is a culmination of
many years hard work, and I hope you will
remember your time as a UWA student with
pride, excitement, and accomplishment.
During your time here you would have
enjoyed moments of great joy and
satisfaction, as well as endured setbacks
and challenges. The disciplines that you
have chosen to immerse yourself in have
unique opportunities and experiences,
which will significantly prepare
you for your future at many levels. You
should feel a great sense of
pride at how those years of persistence
and resilience have paid off, as you sit
in this beautiful hall with your fellow
graduates, surrounded by your loved ones
and friends to celebrate, and look into
the future with ambition and with
purpose. We have provided you with
something greater than world-class
education. Being a student is much more
than providing you with access to
academic excellence. I hope you have
found time as a UWA student to become
involved in the many facets of campus
life; clubs, societies, overseas exchange,
work experience, or learning and
community internships for example. All
such experiences have offered you an
opportunity to further develop your
skills and prepare you for the future.
Our graduates have been making a
difference at a local, national and
international level for more than 100
years. So much has changed during this
time of course, and our graduates are now
emerging into a rapidly changing world.
In science for example, one of our
graduates went on to pursue a career in
physics, pairing science and music
research to pioneer acoustic sharp
detection technology. He has been working
in underwater acoustics for nearly 15
years and was awarded a major
commercialisation grant from the West
Australian Government, to test the
concepts developed in his PhD in a shark
detector. A first for a UWA PhD student,
Shane took a PhD subject that even our
own Navy has no experience in, and his
methods are now patentable.
You should feel confident that you
are well-prepared to take your place in
a highly competitive working environment.
You have mastered subject matter concepts
and techniques, and acquired skills that
equip you for lifelong learning. We find
ourselves today in a period of
disruption, turbulence and global
uncertainty. There is much conjecture
about our future world, including what
the jobs in the careers of the future
will look like. You're also graduating at
a time when the rise of populism has
spawned terms such as fake news,
alternative facts, and post truth.
Globalisation undoubtedly brings many
opportunities and provided us with some
areas for critical debate and intelligent
dialogue. But this is why knowledge and
its application to societal issues has
never been more important. I urge you to
use the knowledge and the skills you
have learned, especially the power of
critical thinking, to rally against this
populist trend and then demonstrate that
knowledge, facts and evidence matter.
Some commentators are suggesting that
graduates of the future are likely to
have five careers and up to 17 jobs, and
that 40% of jobs that currently
exist will not be there in the future,
not necessarily disappearing but
changing. And for you is the opportunity
to create that future and opportunities
for others.
We hope that your UWA degree will
empower and equip you to succeed in a
career of your choosing and possibly a
career that is not yet even created. Each
of you has the capacity to make a
difference to society, whether it's
through some major scientific or
engineering breakthrough, through the
arts, or through business innovation. But
just as importantly, you have developed
the capacity to embrace change, provide
innovative solutions, and to question and
be open to new ideas and possibilities.
This is an exciting time for you. A time
to rise to the challenge of what comes
next. Many of our graduates here today
are already making their mark, having
achieved great things during their time
at UWA. During the year, several of our
graduates have been recognised with awards and honours for their important
achievements in science. The faculty
awarded a total of 165 prizes and
scholarships in 2017. That is an
incredible achievement. Your faculty also
had 88 students take part in study
abroad program in universities around
the world. What a wonderful way to get
some international experience and
education. I'd now like to share with you
a quote from Wendy Kopp, co-founder and CEO of Teach For All,  a global network of educational non-profit
organisations, about the power of
experience.
She writes, 'I often hear from my new
graduates that it's better to wait until
you have more experience. But I'm a big
believer in the power of inexperience. It
was the greatest asset I had when I
started Teach For All. If I'd known at
the outset how hard it was going to be, I
might never have started. The world needs
you before you stop asking naive
questions, and while you have the time to
understand the true nature of the
complex problems we face. and take them
on.' I am delighted that you chose to
study at this university and sad to see
those of you that are leaving us leave.
But of course this is not farewell. You
will always be part of the UWA community.
You will always be welcome here and we
will do our best to support you through
your careers. In turn, I hope you will
stay connected and become an active
alumni member. What makes you very
special and unique is that when the
university was established, our
founders place great importance on
building a community of graduates.
Convocation exists to ensure all
graduates have a lifelong connection to
this University. Graduates, your hard work
and dedication have led you to this
moment, and wherever your journey leads
from here you should be very proud of
your achievements. This is your day. Enjoy
it.
Congratulations to you all.
It is now my pleasure to introduce our
guest speaker Fadzi Whande. Fadzi is a
global diversity and inclusion
strategist, award-winning social justice
advocate, and manager for inclusion and
diversity here. Her background ranges from
launching telecommunication networks to
addressing financial literacy,
unemployment, social disadvantage, gender
inequality and racial equity in Zimbabwe,
Botswana, the UK, USA and
Australia. Over the course of her career,
she's been recognised multiple times for
her efforts to promote inclusion and
diversity and was recently appointed a
2018 Australia Day ambassador. Please
welcome Fadzi.
Good afternoon Chancellor, deputy
Vice-Chancellor, members of the Senate.
Ladies and gentlemen, and to the
graduating class of 2018, it is a
privilege and honour to be able to stand
before you this afternoon
and address you, and give the graduation
speech. I'd first of all like to
acknowledge the traditional custodians
of the land on which we meet. I think
it's always important for us to
acknowledge the journey that has led to
us being here and so every time I am
privileged to hear a welcome to country
or acknowledgement to country I think
about the sacrifices that a lot of
people have made for me to be able to
call Australia home. I think about the
sacrifices my own family have made for
me to be where I am and so in that light
I think about the traditional custodians,
those past and present and any members
of the Indigenous community that are
with us today, and I just want to pay my
respects and say that because of you we
are. Today is a really important day for
some of you. And I know that my journey
began in 2012 right here at UWA and I'd
like to particularly shout out to any
single mothers that are with us here.
Whether you're here to honour your
children or whether you yourself are
graduating, and I want to honour them.
Because in 2012 at the year that I was
turning 40, I found myself here at UWA embarking on
a university journey. I had just gone
through a really terrible divorce. I had
been in Australia at that time for about
four years, didn't really know anyone and
I decided I needed to reinvent myself. So
what should I do.
I should go to university. I was under
the impression that coming to university
would help restore sanity, obviously that
was short-lived.
Assignments and readings and all the
things that come with it, as I'm sure
those who are graduating today would
know. But it was a journey that I really
enjoyed, and in the journey I realised
just how resilient I was. And I think
that it was Eleanor Roosevelt who
actually said, 'Women are like tea bags.
You never know how strong they are until
you get them in hot water.'
A lot of the times that I was here, I
experienced what it was like to be in
hot water, but one of the things that
kept me going was just the encouragement
of my fellow students, and those that I
participated in a lot of group
assignments with. I learned a few things
along the way. Particularly about not to
go out partying and expect to pay
attention to a tutor the very next day
when you're sitting in the front row. There's a lot of things that I
learned, but one of the things that I
really want to share with you is really
to look at what it means to seek wisdom.
It has been said that to acquire
knowledge, one must study. But to acquire
wisdom, we must observe. And so I ask you
what have you observed in the time that
you've been here, because wisdom really
is not about what we learn at university,
but it's a lifelong journey and as our
founding motto tells us, seeking wisdom
is something that I've learned to
translate in my life. And what does that
look like. For me, wisdom is defined as
the ability to use your experience and
knowledge in order to make sensible
decisions or judgements. I've often
wondered whether my decisions have been
sensible, but in seeking wisdom I've also
thought what does it mean to resort to,
to attain, to acquire, or to gain.
Aristotle said knowing yourself is the
beginning of all wisdom and I think that
couldn't be said. It's just so true.
Because authenticity and knowing who you
are is the beginning, and the quest that
we must all strive for. And the more we
look outside of ourselves to create a
sense of self, the farther off track we go.
How can we know who we truly are when we
spend our time trying to win the
approval of others. And that's something
that I learned when I was here. That for
me to be able to achieve whatever success
I set out for myself ,I had to really
understand and pay attention to what I
was saying. Not try and be cool. Not
trying to be you know that person
who who tried to act young. You know, like
I said, when I came here I was turning 40.
And I know that's a shock to you, but I
guess I am a living symbol of the adage
that black don't crack.
So what I would like to say is the world
needs you to be you. As you embark on
that journey just remember that. Remember
that it is so important to be inclusive,
and as a global diversity and inclusion
strategist, I cannot stand here and not
actually encourage you and advocate for
inclusivity. We are good at being diverse.
We only have to look around the room to
see how diverse we are. What we haven't
learnt is to be inclusive. We haven't
learnt to give voice to those that are
often times silenced, and I want to
encourage you as you go out into the
world, to take that with you. To remember
to be inclusive and create spaces where
everybody can fit in and belong. Remember
that being true to yourself means that
you give others permission to be true to
themselves. Part of being authentic is
also what we gain when we allow multiple,
multiple perspectives to shape our
narrative. And to much in this world,
they're the voices of those who are
undermined, underrepresented, often go
unheard, and so I want to challenge you
to be the group that actually seeks out
to be more inclusive, and allow the
spaces that you inhabit to be inhabited
by many. The reality is failure should be
your friend,
because we learn a lot through failure.
And we shouldn't be scared of failing. We
only have to think about our John
Winthrop Hackett, who this Hall s named
after. He had a failed history of
politics and even tried to be a squatter.
That didn't work, and then he became
Chancellor of UWA. Failure is not
necessarily a bad thing. If you allow
yourself to learn from that and I know
that there's a lot of cliches about it,
but I would challenge you to make
failure your friend. Take it out to
dinner. Just don't let failure cook for you.
Oprah said that sometimes you find
what you're supposed to do, by doing the
things that you're not supposed to do,
and that might be true for some of you
here. That you might decide and discover
what your passions are in learning
things that you might not have wanted to
learn. It certainly is true for me and my
journey. I never set out to be an
inclusion and diversity specialist or
strategist. I just find myself in spaces
where I was just passionate about
speaking up for those that often went
underrepresented, and as a black female I
had a lot of intersectionalities of
diversity and experience that I could
draw from. So we all have at one time or
another experienced things. Each of us
has a story. You have a story, and as you
consider what your next steps are I want
to encourage you to be bold enough to
continue to seek wisdom. Looking around
this room I see limitless possibility. I
see dreams that haven't been dreamt,
places that haven't been visited and
alumni that are world changers. You have
a critical role to play, not only in the
future of UWA, but also in your community.
In our city of Perth, in our lovely
nation of Australia and the world at
large, I challenge you to be mindful of
the stories that you tell and the
stories that you listen to. Because each
of us has a story. The buildings that we
inhabit have stories. The streets are
flags. There's a lot of stories that need
to be told. And so as you go out I
challenge you to do that. The late
African icon Nelson Mandela said that
education is the most powerful weapon
which you can use to change the world. Fellow UWA graduates and alumni those
words have been spoken. The mandate has
been given. Your education and your
continued seeking of wisdom are cheering
and the call has been given. Let's go out
and change the world. Thank you.
Thank You Padre for a terrific and
inspiring speech. I hadn't heard that
tea bag simile before, but I certainly
won't forget it.
I think you will agree that Ms Whande's
address is a fitting introduction to the
primary purpose of this ceremony, which
is to confer upon graduands degrees and
diplomas of the University, in
recognition of their academic
achievement. My name is Tony O'Donnell.
I'm the Pro Vice-Chancellor and
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science.
It is my pleasure today to present
graduates to the Chancellor for
conferral of the award of diploma and
degree of bachelor of this University.
Chancellor for the Diploma in Science
Ayesha Roseanne Lapinski
Nicholas James Potter
Julian Leon van der Zanden
For the Degree of Bachelor of Arts with a Major in
Human Geography and Planning
Lucinda Susan Lefroy 
Hugh William Marchbank
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Agricultural Science
Jack Francis Beeck
Darren Ryan de Vos
Ashleigh Michelle Mary Donnison
Jarrod Bentley Hargreaves
Tze Xuan Gabriel Pang
Yoshihiro Tada
Natasha Ruth Vermeulen
Madison Chloe Voak
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology
Uditi Kamesh Bhatt
Morgan Naveen Biggs
Giles Glenn Calvert
Ryan Peter Connery
Breanna Shae Dixon
Tia Christine Evers
Beatrice Yan-Lam Ho 
Laura Elizabeth Johanson
Lim Hui Min Mindy
Michelle May Shien Low 
Kim Toby Melville
Eugene Seow Qun Zhou
Jordyn James Taylor 
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Botany
Freya Lea Crozier 
Julian August Jeeves-Bonte
Joshua Harry Kestel
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Chemistry
Kay Yin Ang
Zoe Zaneta Castleden
Charlotte Louise Coppock
Alice Rita Dix-Matthews
Michael Robert Hall 
Alice Hashiguchi
Patrick John Charles James
Kelly Siobhan Jones
Debbie Wei Ding Lau 
Nurmasyitah Binte Othman
Courtney Nika Press
William John Stowell 
Jackson Ty Stubberfield
Monica Mei Yee Tan
Weiting Zhao
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in
Conservation Biology
Zahra Tiara Aisya
Joseph Michael Caspersz-Loney
Amelia Catterick-Stoll
Chun Sang Fung
Maddison Shea Howard
Jasmine Lynn
Chelsea Keren Neill 
Chelsea Laura Pringle
Lauren Miriam Pullella
Ellen Rose Watson
Calum Joseph Duncan Woods
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Environmental Science
Bianca Rosa Bertelli
Steven James Castle
Nicholas Andrew Courts
Jack Elias Burke D'Souza
Ellen Renee Dolecki
Shae Evan Dorrington 
Bayley James Du Plessis
Jasmin Kate Eardley-Wilmot
Benjamin Noel Fosbery
Sarah Patricia Gerrard
Braydon Sonny Graham 
Evelyn Jia Yuan Hiew
Keara Imogen Jacobs
Alanna Maree Kursar 
Pak Phi Lee 
Hazel Liem
Adrian Thomas Mennie
Kate Louise Nicol
Emma Ryan
Kang Tam
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Geographical Sciences
Christian Berger
Vienna Maddison Schnell
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Geography
Emily Caitlin Lassila
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Geology
Terrence Robert Brown
Robert John Hoschke
Danielle Nicole Kelly
Gemma Maria Leftley
Nicholas Francis Mcmahon
Tyson Kyle Ockelford
Ethan Gi-Yan Tang Sylvester
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a
Major in Marine Science
Cecilie Haarstad Andersen  
Sam Daniel Bock
Henry George Carrick
Sophie May Cochrane
Anneke Janette Dearlove
Emily Rose Fosbery 
Brendan Thomas Gerrard
Hanna Christina Gustavson
Liam John Hamersveld
Alexandra Jayne Hegarty
Joanne Lim Zhen Ying
Ashley Crystal Marino
Kohta Mitsuishi 
Mohamed Kaisan Raiyan Bin Mohamed Hussain
Ella Marine Golda Rosengart 
Katie Rebecca Trimbell
Siahn Leslee Nardi
Todd Thomas Hoffmann
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with a Major in Zoology
Keely Paige Boston-Budd
Jennifer Lee Bruyn
Karly Jade Burrell
Olivia Gale Delaney 
Akshay Emmanuel Gomez-Jackson
Georgia Anne Hadlow
Nicholas James Hart
Saumya Chandini Hiyare Hewage 
Rebekah Valerie Hortin 
Claudia Odette Houston
Amy Laura Hutchison
Erin Rose Hynes
Tazia Maree Lemon
Amy Kathleen Mcalpine 
Jessica Kate McLeod
Breanna Claire Muste
Caitlin Eve Nagle
Clare Megan Amy Nyberg
Candace Anita Parkyn
Lyndall Janaye Pengelly  
Chiat Ying, Felicia Phua
Kate Elizabeth Rick 
Rebekah Lee Stone
Jessica Kate Tacey
For the Degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours
Natasha Anne Brown
Andrew Francis Henson
Rose Joan Zolnier Kerr
Amy Leigh Kretzmann
Kelsie Zena Lambert
Tullem Selby McKiever
Kristen Karri Nilsson
Lucas Silva Pires
Annabel Jane Silvestri 
Zahra Abbas
Hannah Carmel Adam 
Dennis Patrick Byrne
Colby James Bignell
Deanne Louise Cummins
Elissa Jane Edward
George Darcy Edwards
Oliver Thomas Gierymski
Mabel Lily Alexandra Gill-Hille
Angus Adam Gillespie
Matthew Hayden Vincent Graneri 
Christian Thrane Haakansson
Dominika Mary Jusko
Brock Leighton Keymer
Zakary Marcus Langtry 
Ryan Eian Lopez 
Jessica Michelle Moran
Jaylen David Nicholson 
Michael James Nutt
Sophie Olivia Perring 
Zachary John Sudholz
AND Weilu Zhang
On behalf of the University, I confer the
award of diploma and degree of bachelor
upon the graduates presented to me by
the Pro Vice-Chancellor and the Executive
Dean of the Faculty of Science.
The University is very proud of its
Conservatorium of Music and of the
performance standards of its students. I
therefore have great pleasure in
introducing a brief musical interlude by
members of Con-Cantorum, one of the UWA
vocal ensembles who will be performing
Feelin' Good.
[Musical recital]
Thank you again Con-Cantorum.
It is now my pleasure to present
graduates to the Chancellor for
conferral of the degree of master
of this University. Chancellor for the
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science (Agricultural Economics)
Yanmin Yu
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science (Agricultural Economics) with Distinction
Daniel Richard Cichy 
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science
(Agricultural Systems)
Stacey Louise Hansch
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science (Genetics and Breeding)
Hediyeh Tahghighi
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science (Soil Science)
Ming Cao
For the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science (Soil Science and Plant Nutrition)
Ellie Denise Stone 
Chia Chia Wu
For the Degree of Master of Biological Science
(Conservation Biology)
Paul William Brandon
Jun Jie Wong
For the Degree of Master of Biological Science (Marine Biology)
Yu Bi
Brooke Mikaela Fennell
Ross Hammond Gillis
Caroline Robyn Hart
Leanne Marie Ward
For the Degree of Master of Biological Science (Zoology)
Anchal Gupta
Bryce Michael Henderson
Brittany Rose Osborn
Sian Marama Thorn
Matteo Tommaso Ungaro
For the Degree of Master of Biotechnology
Jessica Lee Andrews 
Mitchell Steven Bestry
Christine Ishak
Alfred Demianus Mayor
Michael William Murrey
For the Degree of Master of Biotechnology with Distinction
Guy Windsor Barrington
Rose Isabella McDowell
For the Degree of Master of Environmental Science (Environmental Management)
Damien Kusumah Arnaud
Joshua Michael Foote
Thamara Rathnaseeli Kumaranayake
Meredith Xin-Tian Ong
Sofie Charlotte Springer 
Thung Tan
For the Degree of Master of Environmental Science (Geographic
Information Science and Environmental Management)
Chun Ming Cheung 
Richard Grieg Olsen
Sarah Jean Ravensberg 
Ahkeam Mahoon Rawlinson
For the Degree of Master of
Environmental Science (Geographic Information Science and
Environmental Management) with Distinction
Christopher Luke Anderson
For the Degree of Master of Environmental Science (Land and Water Management)
Colin David Flower
Susan Kate Murrey
Monthat Suwannakarn
Jack Kie Wang
For the Degree of Master of Environmental Science (Land and Water
Management) with Distinction
Amy Elizabeth Imbergamo
For the Degree of Master of Environmental Science (Marine and Coastal Management)
Ella Deanne Marchetti
For the Degree of Master of Geographic Information Science
Ren Zhi Jie
For the Degree of Master of Geoscience
Yuchen Cai
Chan Kar Wai
Wenzheng Guo
Pengfei Jia
Amy Patricia Lassey
Aundre Rodrigues
Samantha Tan Wei Ling
Suet Mei Wan
Conghua Zhao
Ruoyu Zhao
For the Degree of Master of Hydrogeology
Amanda Louise Clements 
India Cywinski-Jan
Marie Amanda Egan
Callum David Gilligan 
Anurdha Shanthini Kumari Karavita Arachchi
For the Degree of Master of Hydrogeology with Distinction
Amy Marie Carlino
For the Degree of Master of International Development
Madeline Lee Madvad
For the Degree of Master of Science
Lucy Bernadette Anderton
For the Degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning
Yezhou Fan
Brooke Elizabeth Hongell 
Maxwell Kwaku Osae
Michaela Eva Pilossof
Lucy Suzette Jane Smith
And Aamon Zothner.
On behalf of the University, I confer the
degree of master upon the graduands
presented to me by the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science.
My name is Professor Kate Wright and I
am the Dean of the Graduate Research
School. It is my pleasure today to
present graduates to the Chancellor for
conferral of the degree of Doctor of
this University. To qualify for the award
of a doctoral degree of this University,
a graduate is required over not less
than three years to complete training at
an advanced level, and to pursue research
leading to a thesis that makes a
substantial and original contribution to
knowledge. The thesis is examined by
three distinguished scholars of
international standing and the
examination process subjects the thesis
to criticism and evaluation at the
highest level, and ensures that a
recipient of the degree has demonstrated
the ability to carry out successful
research, which satisfies rigorous
standards. Chancellor, I now present to
you graduates who have completed theses
that have fulfilled the requirements for
the award of the degree of Doctor of
this University. Chancellor, for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy and for a
thesis entitled the geography of ageing
in the city: An analysis of population dynamics and policy responses in
Perth, Western Australia. I present to you,
Mariana Teresa Atkins.
For a thesis entitled – Poverty and vulnerability to poverty in Pakistan:
Innovative empirical analyses for more effective policy interventions, I present
to you,
Muhammad Masood Azeem
For a thesis entitled – Understanding the in vitro bioactivity of the forage legume
Biserrula pelecinus L. - variability and mechanisms
I present to you
Bidhyut Kumar Banik
For a thesis entitled – Natural and artificial regulation of Arabidopsis
methylome, I present to you
Jonathan Boris Cahn
For a thesis entitled – Timescales and mechanisms of sediment transport and
shoreline morphodynamics in a fringing reef system, I present to you
Michael Vincent William Cuttler
For a thesis entitled – The ocean and coastal response to tropical cyclone
forcing in the Australian North West region,
I present to you
 Edwin Johannes Fokke Drost
For a thesis entitled – The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) -
An enigmatic oxymoron - How a not-so-small species presents a
sizeable conservation challenge
I present to you
Gabriella Louise Flacke
For a thesis entitled – Paleoproterozoic magmatic history of the southern margin
of the North Australian Craton: Implications for local crustal
architecture and evolution of the continental crust, I present to you
Maria Linda Iaccheri
For a thesis entitled – Hydrogen gas sensing with magnetic nanomaterials, I
present to you
Chiu Ming Lueng
For a thesis entitled – Investigation into the atmospheric degradation of
α-phellandrene: A computational, experimental and modelling study, I
present to you
Felix Alexander Mackenzie-Rae
For a thesis entitled – The synthesis and pharmacological studies on a novel
antimicrobial agent & new nickel catalysts and their applications in
organic synthesis,
I present to you
Nikki Ying-Tung Man
For a thesis entitled – Cultural systems, science and natural resource management:
Aboriginal management of wetlands in the west Kimberley, Australia, I present to you
Michelle Leanne Pyke
For a thesis entitled – Tracing multiscale mineral system processes through
sulphur isotopography,
I present to you
Vikraman Selvaraja
For a thesis entitled – Are we going against the grain in training? Developing a training and
information framework for farmers and agronomists in Australia, I present to
you Dominie Gabrielle Wright
And For a thesis entitled – Geochemistry and
mineralogy of trace and rare-earth elements in acidified estuarine dredge
spoil and associated sulfidic drain sediments, South Yunderup, Western
Australia,
I present to you
Xu Nian
On behalf of the University, I confer the
degree of Doctor upon the graduands
presented to me by the Dean of the
Graduate Research School.
I will now invite the Warden of
Convocation, Dr Doug McGee to welcome
today's new graduates.
Fellow graduates, as the Warden of
Convocation of the University I
congratulate you on your graduation,
first and subsequent. As graduates, you
join the diverse and incredibly talented
alumni of this university. Because of UWA's
unique structure and supporting
legislation, you also automatically join
Convocation, the representative body of
the graduates, as lifelong members. As
members of Convocation,
you now have the right and privilege to
share in and contribute to the
intellectual and cultural life of the
University, and to stand for election to
the council of Convocation, and for the two
places on Senate elected by the members
of Convocation. As a member of
Convocation you join over 150,000
graduates who have successfully
completed their studies at UWA over the
past 100 years. The friendships you have
developed as a student at UWA are
fostered within Convocation to support
valued lifelong networks. Convocation
members range from young to older and
all are welcome, valued, and supported. As
time passes after graduation, you'll
enjoy seeing and hearing the stories of
success of your fellow students, and this
afternoon we have been inspired by one
of your fellow members, Fadze's story.
What an amazing inspirational story. I
hope that you're able to tell a similar
story in years to come. I welcome you as
a member and encourage you to continue
the relationship with the University
which began when you chose to study here
and continues as a member of Convocation.
Congratulations and best wishes.
On behalf of the University, I will now
confer in absentia respective awards
upon those graduates who were unable to
be present at this ceremony, and whose
names are printed on the paper. Ladies
and gentlemen, we are today celebrating
the achievements of our students. It's
appropriate therefore that a student
voice should be heard to mark this
significant occasion. I would like to
invite Jessica Moran who graduated today
with the degree of Bachelor of Science
with First-Class Honours in Zoology to
deliver the valedictory address on
behalf of the graduates.
Chancellor, deputy vice-chancellor,
members of Senate, distinguished guests,
members of staff, deserving graduates and
their guests, being invited to give the
valedictory address I was both honoured
and horrified. It seems ironic that the
reward for years of hard work should be
the despised task of public speaking.
After a great deal of internal screaming
and sleepless nights, I am overall
incredibly grateful for the opportunity
to celebrate our shared success. Writing
this address has made me reflect on my
experiences at UWA and acknowledge how
much I have changed and learned since
arriving here. Over the past few weeks,
seeing first-year students who were born
in the year 2000 has not only brought me
into the brink of a quarter life crisis,
but it's also helped me recognise four
life lessons that are unconsciously
gained from a UWA science degree.
Lesson number one - no scientist is an island. A tertiary degree, much like life, is
impossible to get through alone without
inspiring role models and helping hands.
It is difficult to succeed throughout
our science degrees at UWA. We were lucky
enough to be surrounded by strong
brilliant women in science. Personally
coming from a country town, it has been
incredibly valuable to see that yes I
can do it, and I can even do it in a
skirt. I am indebted to the amazing men
and women of the Faculty of Science for
the inspiration they provided but also
for their generosity and kindness. Like
most students, I also experienced
setbacks and challenges during my degree.
However my supervisors and the wonderful
team at the Science student office
reminded me that the ability to ask for
help is a show of strength, not weakness.
I have no delusions. I certainly would
not be standing here giving this address
or even graduating if I had
isolated myself and not reached out for
help
on numerous occasions. Lesson number two - we are now ambassadors for science. We
must use our privilege and credibility
wisely, whether we intended to be or not.
Our degrees mean that we are now
ambassadors for science and the lifelong
pursuit of knowledge. We find ourselves
in a time of fake news. Every day
misinformation is spread by
self-proclaimed experts who research
their topics with biased YouTube and
Google searches. So I urge you, be a
ruthless science communicator.
Trust no one, seek the truth, do the
research and champion real science. We
must start conversations in our
communities about the reality of climate
change, the importance of vaccinations
and the frightening extinction rates of
species. If we do not use our educated
voices, we run the risk of being drowned
out by those who are led by arrogance
fear and xenophobic politicians. Lesson
number three - have a five-year plan but
still say yes to every opportunity. Plans
are good but being open to opportunity
is better. The world is full of endless
possibilities. Like many of today's
graduates, I came to UWA without any idea
what I wanted to do other than work in
science. At UWA I gained experience and
more importantly passion by simply
saying yes to opportunities. Can you
clean dirty mouse boxes - yes. Can you
babysit some lab mice in Spain - yes. Can
you perform micro surgery on bees - yes.
Can you collect ant sperm in the
Panamanian rainforest - yes, absolutely.
When I started my degree I didn't know
anything about ants, bees or mice, and I
lacked self-confidence. But I learned to
trust other people's faith in my
abilities by ignoring an overwhelming
sense of the imposter syndrome and just
saying yes. I found my passion. My very
Swiss honours supervisor who struggled
with english sayings always talked about
how ant and bee sperm really blew him off.
Despite the unfortunate mis-saying, his
mentorship helps me realise how blown
away I could be by bees,
eventually inspiring me to now pursue a
PhD on focused on protecting some of our
most important pollinators. Only by being
open to opportunities and having the
courage to chase them up, have I ended up
here. Lastly lesson number four - make time for
life and be grateful. There's a common if
not overused saying. Never get so busy
making a living that you forget to make
a life. It may sound cliche but it's true.
During my degree, I experienced the loss
of a parent and a sibling. There were a
thousand moments with my dad and my big
brother that I took for granted
simply because I expected a thousand
more. Learn from my mistakes. Don't worry
too much about the stuff that doesn't
need worrying. Make time to consciously
be grateful for lazy Sundays,
cheap avocados, Dad jokes, bad memes and
good dogs. Make time for life. Rather than
ending these life lessons from UWA with
the cliched pursue the impossible, I'd
like to leave you with a similar but
more expansive quote from the great
English author Douglas Adams. Let's think
the unthinkable, let's do the un-doable,
let us prepare to grapple with the
ineffable itself and see if we may not ineff
it after all. Thank you.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your
participation in today's proceedings
which has made it a memorable occasion
for all the graduates. I particularly
wish to thank Ms Fadzi Whande for
giving the graduation address and
Jessica Moran for the valedictory
address which you've just heard. Both of
them have enriched these proceedings
with their perspectives. To all the new
graduates, I offer my warm
congratulations. As UWA graduates, your
achievements will enhance the reputation
of this University. We hope you will keep
in touch with us over the coming years
to let us know what you are doing and
that you will retain a lifelong
connection as a part of the University
community. The ceremony is now concluded
and I invite you to join us on
Whitfeld courts for light refreshments.
Members of the audience are asked to
rise and remain standing in their places until the procession, including the new graduates, has left the hall.
