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Julia Gillard awarded honorary doctorate

Monday, 29 April 2019

The ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide is recognising the outstanding contributions to society of four eminent ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns during the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥’s graduation ceremonies.

Former Prime Minister the Hon. Julia Gillard, AC, South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥’s Chief Scientist, Professor Caroline McMillen, Vice-Chancellor and President of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Queensland Professor Peter Høj, AC, and renowned ecologist Professor Hugh Possingham, are being awarded honorary doctorates. They join more than 3600 graduates being awarded their degrees in Bonython Hall in 15 ceremonies from Monday 29 April to Wednesday 8 May.

Ceremonies on Monday 29 April:

The Hon. Julia Gillard, AC, has been awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ in acknowledgement of her exceptionally distinguished service to ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n society and to the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥.

Ms Gillard, who studied law and arts at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide, is best known as ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥’s 27th, and first female, Prime Minister. Under her leadership, ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ weathered the Global Financial Crisis, built new relationships in Asia while also strengthening ties with traditional allies, and made advances in such areas as health and disability care, telecommunications and environmental sustainability.

Following her retirement from politics Ms Gillard has continued her public service and passionate promotion of the importance of education in many roles, including as Chair of mental health awareness body Beyond Blue, and as Chair of the Global Partnership for Education. She is also an Honorary Visiting Professor in the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide’s Faculty of Arts, where she contributes to the fields of History and Politics.

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Professor Peter Høj, AC, has been awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ in acknowledgement of his exceptional leadership in science, including the commercialisation of science, and to higher education.

Professor Høj worked as a research scientist in Denmark and ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ before becoming Foundation Professor of Viticultural Science at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide in 1995. He has been Managing Director of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Wine Research Institute, Chief Executive Officer of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Research Council, Vice-Chancellor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, and since 2012, Vice-Chancellor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Queensland.

He has demonstrated great leadership in the higher education sector, particularly in his roles on a variety of National education boards, and in his advocacy for reviewing the funding models for research-intensive universities.

Ceremony on Wednesday 1 May:

Professor Caroline McMillen is being awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ in acknowledgement of her outstanding contribution to health and medical science, and to leadership in research and higher education.

Professor McMillen is a passionate advocate for the role of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in driving innovation, and for the role of universities as national and regional catalysts of economic and social transition. She is an esteemed leader in the higher education sector with more than 30 years in leadership roles across research, innovation and teaching.

She is a former Professor, Chair and Head of the Department of Physiology at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President: Research and Innovation at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of South ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, and most recently served as Vice-Chancellor of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Newcastle, before returning to Adelaide last year to take up her current role as Chief Scientist.

Ceremony on Thursday 2 May:

Professor Hugh Possingham is being awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science in acknowledgement of his internationally recognised pioneering research into endangered species, conservation biology and ecological planning.

Professor Possingham, who studied undergraduate science, became a professor and remains an Emeritus Professor at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide, is one of ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥’s most respected ecologists. He has helped make the world aware of the importance of environmental science, conservation and ecological planning.

He is Chief Scientist of The Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest non-government environmental organisation, is former Director of the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, and of a National Environmental Science Program Hub, and an ARC Laureate Fellow at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Queensland.

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