A top social worker, an award-winning poet and one of the Pacific Islands' elder statesmen will speak at UQ graduation ceremonies tomorrow, December 3.
Chief Executive Officer of UnitingCare Queensland Anne Cross (11am), Sir Peter Kenilorea (2pm) and UQ graduate and Gates Cambridge Scholar Jaya Savige (6pm) will address graduates and guests at the joint Arts and SBS faculty events.
Approximately 900 students will celebrate their achievements on the day in areas as diverse as psychology, history, political science, journalism and music.
As the CEO of UnitingCare Queensland Ms Cross oversees the state operations of well-known support services including Blue Care, Lifeline, Crossroads and Wesley Mission Brisbane.
In her three-decade career she has focused on helping disadvantaged people and was the Founding Director of the Community Resource Unit and also assisted in the establishment of Disability Services Queensland.
Earlier this year she was appointed an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work and and Human Services.
Solomon Islands leader Sir Peter Kenilorea will serve as guest speaker and receive an honorary doctorate for his achievements at the 2pm ceremony.
The recipient of many awards including a British knighthood and the the highest foreign honour from the Republic of China, Sir Peter originally trained a teacher before entering politics.
Elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1976, he became Chief Minister and Prime Minister at independence in 1978, a position he held three times between then and 1986.
He is currently serving his second term as the Speaker of the Solomon Islands Parliament and was intimately involved in negotiating the peace process during the political crisis years from 1998-2003.
His autobiography, Tell it as it is, was edited by UQ historian Professor Clive Moore and launched in July.
Speaking at the 6pm ceremony is Jaya Savige, who will begin his PhD in poetry at Cambridge University next year after receiving a $110,000 scholarship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Mr Savige is a UQ Arts (honours) and Master of Philosophy graduate, and is the poetry consultant for the Australian Literary Review.
A follow-up to his award-winning debut Latecomers will be published next year.
All three graduation ceremonies will take place at the UQ Centre, St Lucia, with Thomas Pritzler (11am), Veronica Doig (2pm) and Dylan Barnes (6pm) giving the valedictory address.
Media: Cameron Pegg at UQ Communications (07 3365 2049, c.pegg@uq.edu.au)
