Twenty-seven people with links to The University of Queensland were honoured for outstanding service and community contributions in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Awardees with UQ connections were recognised for their commitment to improving standards for indigenous communities, tackling some of the nation’s biggest diseases, and leading the way in legal education, sustainable aviation, rugby union and music.
They include UQ Adjunct Professor Robert McCarthy, who was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM), for significant service to public administration in Queensland, particularly in economic development, agriculture and natural resource management.
Mr McCarthy’s career highlights include serving as Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry (2006-2009) and as Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water (2005-2006).
During these appointments, he worked with Indigenous communities near Weipa in north Queensland to address issues of employment, economic development and substance misuse.
Other Order of Australia recipients with UQ links included Dr Lynn Maria Weekes, The Honourable Justice John Harris Byrne, Dr Peter Harold Woodruff and Ms Elizabeth Maria Morgan.
Dr Weekes, an Honorary Senior Lecturer with UQ’s School of Pharmacy, was awarded for significant service to community health through the promotion of quality use of medicines.
The Honourable Justice Byrne was awarded for distinguished service to the judiciary and the law, particularly in Queensland, as a leading contributor to legal education and reform and to professional development and training.
Justice Byrne graduated from UQ in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts, and in 1971 with a Bachelor of Laws. He was a member of UQ’s Law Faculty Board from 1982 to 1988.
Dr Woodruff, a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at UQ from 1987 to 2005, gained his award for significant service to medicine, particularly in the field of vascular surgery, and through contributions to healthcare standards.
Ms Morgan, a lecturer in violin and viola at UQ from the 1970s to 1992, joined the honours list for significant service to music education.
UQ alumni awarded with an AM include Dr Elaine Barry, Professor Peter Leggat, Professor Cordia Chu, Elizabeth Hounslow, Dr Hugh Lavery, Leesa Jeffcoat and Reverend Dr David Pitman.
UQ Alumni awarded with an AO include Robert Norman, Dr Graham Farquhar, Margaret O'Donnell and Associate Professor Gregory Vickery.
Other awardees associated with the University include Dr Russell Brown, William Scott Ross, James Clayton Maccormick, Deborah Susan Setterlund, Mr Rodney Setterlund, Richard Crooke OAM, Dr Eric Guazzo, Peter Vine, Jennifer Leigh OAM, Andrew Cameron, Jeannie Mok, Shirley Glennon, Peter Kennedy, Kathleen Ann Berg Fisher OAM and Rona Mellor.
The Queen’s Birthday Honours List includes people from areas as diverse as volunteering, nursing, police and emergency services, community, local government, music, arts and culture, sport and rural business.
Please notify any additional recipients who may have been omitted to communications@uq.edu.au
